A Tale of Two Souls
by Sigan
Summary: One year after the defeat of Yhwach, Ichigo is left directionless and discontented, but all that changes when Rukia appears on his doorstep, on leave from the Seireitei. The lines of their friendship begin to blur as their souls are drawn together; setting sinister plots in motion, and tugging at the strings of fate that threaten to tear them away from each other. IchigoxRukia
1. Connected at the Soul

Rukia Kuchiki stood in Ichigo's room, hugging herself tightly as her stomach churned. As hard as she tried, she couldn't seem to steady her breathing. Her mouth was dry, and her thoughts were stuck on an infinite loop of the last few moments.

Ichigo's words rang in her ears like sirens, drowning out all else and sending shivers down her spine.

"I… I think I love you, Rukia."

Unbeknownst to the Kurosaki household, Rukia had previously lived with Ichigo, staying in his closet. Still, she had never felt such an uncomfortably tense atmosphere in his room before. Neither their most heated arguments, nor their most serious war meetings had ever contained such strained silence.

Rukia swallowed past the painful lump that had formed in her throat, chancing a glance at Ichigo. The pair locked eyes for the briefest of moments before he had turned away from her scrutiny.

Suddenly, Rukia's confusion was replaced with an odd jumble of emotions that did absolutely nothing to help her piece together a coherent response.

On one hand, she was upset and annoyed. Things had only just begun to return to normal after their battle with Ywach and his Sternritter army. Not only that, but the way Ichigo had left his confession open to response meant that he undoubtedly expected some sort of reply.

To the soul reaper, it was supremely selfish of Ichigo to drop such a bombshell on her, and even more so to expect an immediate response! The pressure of such a burden was no easy weight to bear, and one wrong word on Rukia's part could turn their friendship on its head. All of this, compounded by the fact that Rukia had visited Ichigo to take leave of her shinigami duties, left her fuming.

"W-What exactly do you mean by that?" Rukia asked warily.

Ichigo couldn't help but to frown.

He'd spent an awful long time working out how to tell Rukia how he felt about her. To say he was flustered by her question was an understatement. Had he misspoke? He didn't think so… but then, why was she looking at him like he was an idiot?!

The substitute soul reaper was unsure of what to do next. He'd never really done anything like this before, and for a moment, he couldn't quite remember why it was he'd suddenly told her. Was it because of the painful knot in his chest every time he looked at her? Or maybe it was the way the moonlight seemed to spear through the curtains and paint her face with ethereal light, or maybe it was…

"Hey, Ichigo!"

Rukia kneed him in the thigh, sending him toppling to the ground. He rolled on the floor, tears streaming from his eyes as he massaged the charlie horse in his leg.

"What the hell was that for?" he groaned.

"You ignored my question," Rukia stated flatly, "what exactly did you mean when you said that you love me?"

She cocked her head, her hands on her hips as she stood over Ichigo. If Kon had been in his place, the pervy stuffed animal might have tried to sneak a peek under Rukia's skirt, but Ichigo was too preoccupied with Rukia's stern expression to bother with her state of dress. A part of her was on guard, as if Ichigo had drawn his sword and levelled it at her. From her stance, it was almost as if she were sizing him up… and what was with her eyes? They seemed to be piercing straight through Ichigo, as if she were staring into his soul.

"Well," Ichigo pushed himself into a sitting position, his legs crossed, and his hands folded in his lap as he stared at the floor. "For starters, I said 'I _think_ I love you.' I'm not exactly sure how this works, either, but lately…"

He thought back over this last school year. While everyone else had been worrying about getting a job or furthering their education, Ichigo had just sort of been going through the motions. In truth, the only thing going through his head as he sat in those classes and scribbled at the margins of his notebooks were thoughts of Rukia.

After Ywach's failed attempt to destroy all the worlds, Ichigo had been hailed as a hero, and then unceremoniously booted out of the soul society. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but in all honesty, his great victory felt sort of stale. After defeating a being whom had absorbed and then subsequently become the most powerful spiritual entity in existence, one might think there would be raucous celebrations, passionate kisses, maybe even some fireworks. Instead, Ichigo got a pat on the back, a 'thanks for helping out' from Head Captain Kyoraku, and more hollows than he knew existed in all Hueco Mundo.

He had spent countless hours between his studies diligently hunting down hollows, as the barriers between worlds had been temporarily weakened after Ywach's narrow defeat, allowing the evil spirits to pour in from all over.

From what Rukia had told him, the Soul Society was quickly being put back into working order, though there was some damage that would take years to fully repair. In fact, hers was the first news he'd received from anyone in the Soul Society.

But in that year long slog before her arrival, Ichigo had been undergoing the crisis of a lifetime. No, his family had not been kidnapped. His friends were all safe and sound. Even his classmates were ok.

Ichigo's was a crisis of the heart.

After his triumph, after his shining moment, he was returned to the world of the living. He was expected to go about his daily business, do his homework, and go on with his life as if he hadn't just vanquished the single greatest threat to the Seireitei.

It made his blood boil to sit in class for hours when he longed to grip Zangetsu's hilt. It put a bee in his bonnet to be constantly thinking of Rukia, and how she was doing. It cut him to his core to think that she didn't even enough about him to send a postcard.

 _'_ _Hey, Ichigo! Repairs in the Seireitei are underway! Wish you were here!'_

 _-Rukia xoxo_

Seriously? How hard was that?!

But back to Ichigo's crisis, he found that his daily life was a bit lackluster. Even after fulfilling his obligations, he realized something was missing. It was most apparent late at night, when he would lie awake, reminiscing about all of the good times he had spent with his friends.

Somehow, it always devolved into him thinking about Rukia. Was she thinking of him? What was she doing to help rebuild the Seireitei? Were she and all the other shinigami having a grand old time of it while Ichigo was stuck in a loop? Was he at least gonna get a plaque on the wall for all of his blood, sweat, and tears? Would Rukia see it?

Soon it was a daily occurrence. Rukia was the first thing on Ichigo's mind when he arose in the morning, and the last thing on his mind before he drifted off to sleep. After going through so much together, it was completely normal for him to spend so much time thinking about her... right? It was normal for him to be worried for a friend. It was only right that he be concerned for her wellbeing. It was totally natural for him to be jealous of that bastard, Renji, who got to see Rukia whenever he wanted.

Now, the substitute soul reaper had never claimed to be the sharpest sword in the dojo. All he knew was that there was something missing in his life. It was apparent in the hours he spent locked in his room, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. It was encompassed in his dissociative attitude, and how he blew off his friends after school to go home, do his homework, and fall into his bed.

He hadn't realized that the thing that had been missing, the one thing he'd wanted more than anything else, was Rukia until she had rang the doorbell, handed him her coat, and pushed past Ichigo like she owned the place.

That had been almost two weeks ago.

Since then, Ichigo had been noticeably more boisterous and exuberant. Karin and Yuzu both seemed to share strange glances when Rukia told lame jokes at the dinner table that only Ichigo found funny.

Somehow, living with Rukia had suddenly changed Ichigo's perspective.

Every day he went to school, but Rukia stayed at home. Every afternoon, Ichigo raced home, and found himself face to face with the smiling black haired shinigami. Every time he saw her, something within him seemed to come alive, as if he'd been a zombie for months, and she had suddenly restarted his heart. There was something mesmerizing about her, as if everything she did was perfect. Whether she was trying (and failing) to make dinner for Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu, or fast asleep on the couch when Ichigo came home, something about her always made him pause for a moment and ponder. Everyone time he did, something twisted in his brain, and he thought about the future.

Any future where Ichigo came home to Rukia was a future worth fighting for.

Had that have been why he fought Ywach? Sure, the whole 'end of the world' thing was a pretty compelling reason to fight on its own, but he always felt that there was more to it than that. Now, here he was, staring his future in the face, and somehow he knew that the only future he wanted was one with Rukia in it. His job couldn't matter less. His social status could go to hell. So long as he got to see Rukia's smile each and every day, he knew that he could live a happy life.

That was the night he resolved to finally tell her how he felt, and that was why he was sitting cross legged on the floor as Rukia stood over him, staring at the top of his head as if trying to peek through his skull and figure out what he was thinking.

"I dunno… I just have this feeling. It's like… I can't picture a future without you in it."

Rukia's heart seemed to skip a beat. As mad as she was, she found that Ichigo's words were never without meaning. Even if he didn't fully understand what he was feeling, his ability to verbalize those feelings was something she could never do.

"I'll always be your friend, Ichigo," Rukia said slowly. "You know that, don't you? I'm not going anywhere."

"I know that, Rukia." The high schooler pushed himself to his feet. His expression was inscrutable, as his eyes were hidden in shadows, but Rukia could feel his mind at work.

"Listen," he said finally, "I'm not gonna beat around the bush… I have feelings for you, Rukia. And when I say I think I love you… well, I mean to say I'm pretty damn sure I do. I value our friendship as well, but I feel like it's grown since we first met. Like I said, this has never really happened to me before, and I never really thought it would happen like this, but…"

"I'm a soul reaper," Rukia reminded Ichigo, "I'm quite a bit older than you! And it would break my heart to lose such a good friend."

"You're occupation and age aren't really of any concern to me," Ichigo stated, taking a bold step towards Rukia, "and our friendship mean a lot to me, too… but I feel like if I don't get this off my chest, I'll never be able to live with myself. Everything is changing, Rukia. I'm staring my future in the face, and I think I'm finally ready to reach out and grab it. You can feel it, too, can't you?"

The orange haired young man held out a hand, as if he were about to pluck Rukia's heart from her chest as easily as one would take an apple from a tree. Instead, the world seemed to turn faint, and Rukia felt her body tingle. Ichigo had increased his spiritual pressure so that she could easily feel it.

Each person's spiritual pressure was like a fingerprint, unique to each individual. Over time, Ichigo's had grown so strong that it was almost overwhelming. The core of his spirit energy, however, was just as it was always been.

"It's like our souls recognize each other," Ichigo said, "ever since you first stabbed me and awakened my powers… it's like I'm constantly drawn to you. For all I know, my spirit energy could still recognize you as the person who awakened it in the first place… but you can't deny that you and I have… well, _something_."

As if to emphasize his point, Ichigo's bluish aura began to show. It outlined his body, streaming off in tendrils of azure power. They seemed to pull towards Rukia, swirling around her and activating her own spiritual energy. Even in a gigai, her own whitish aura appeared, and frost danced across her skin as the temperature in the room dropped suddenly.

Rukia couldn't deny it.

Ever since she'd first laid eyes on Ichigo, she'd known there was something special about him. Ever since she'd stabbed him, it was as though her own spirit energy was a part of his, making up a core that he had added many layers to since he'd gained his powers, but it was also more than that. Their quickly developed bonds of friendship were a testament to the powers of their souls, which had become attuned to one another.

There was a term for it in many languages, and no matter how hard Rukia tried not to think about it, it popped into her head anyway.

'Soul mates…' she thought wondrously.

But there again, she was standing in a room, and Ichigo was looking at her as if she shone more brightly than the moon itself. Suddenly, Rukia was forced to ask herself a question she wasn't sure she had ever asked before.

Did she love Ichigo Kurosaki?

One part of her wanted to nod and proudly proclaim "Of course, he's my best friend!" She wanted to go on being best friends and having adventures together and fighting hollows. Another part of her, the realist that had just spent the better part of three months compiling the names and records of thousands of dead soul reapers, wanted to scoff at the notion of love. It wasn't something she had time for, neither as a Kuchiki, nor as a member of the 13 Court Guard Squads.

And yet another part of her seriously considered it. What if she just stopped being a shinigami? What if she had Kisuke Urahara rig up some sort of permanent gigai for her so that she and Ichigo could live together in the world of the living? What if she completely vanished, like Kisuke Urahara, and stayed with Ichigo and his family, and made dinner and watched TV? What if they grew up, got married, and had a family?

Rukia wanted that, more than anything. She wanted an end to all the fighting, and dying, and bleeding. She wanted to do something crazy, drastic, and daring. For an instant, sunlit visions of herself and Ichigo played out in her head, and she found that she did love him, in a way.

This was Ichigo Kurosaki, the guy that had saved her life. The guy whom had fought tooth and nail against the Soul Society, all because he knew, deep down, that their judgement was skewered by tradition.

Would it be so strange of her to fall in love with him? Sure, his looks were a huge bonus, and he certainly had a charm few other guys possessed… but were they compatible? Was he a good kisser? Would he take her on dates and buy her nice things? Would they even be able to have children?

There it was again. Rukia Kuchiki was a soul reaper, and Ichigo Kurosaki was, for all intents and purposes, a human being.

"So… uh… I'm not really sure where to go from here…" Ichigo admitted.

"Wha- hold on, you mean to tell me that you've never asked out a girl?!"

"Well, no. I've been kinda busy," Ichigo mumbled, scratching his cheek. "I mean, I've been doing this whole substitute soul reaper thing on top of my school work and it's kept me pretty busy until recently."

Rukia didn't have to ask. She knew that Ichigo was referring to his countless forays into enemy territory ever since he discovered his powers. What was more, she'd been with him during most of these dangerous missions. Even so, for a guy like Ichigo to not have any sort of experience with woman seemed unreal.

And then reality hit Rukia like a train, and the absurdity of the moment was gone, filled once more with a silence that seemed to grow with each passing moment. She bit her lip, tempted by so many things to just say yes, and give in to the optimist in her heart.

"Ichigo…" her voice was soft and uncertain. The way she said his name made his heart feel weak.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Y'know, I was really looking forward to getting one of these projects finished. Instead, I now have two more projects vying for my attention.**_

 _ **Moving right along, I was at work one day, and I had this idea to write something sappy and romantic, but this time about Bleach. I know, very original. And now, after having finally finished reading the Bleach manga, I decided to give it a go (also because that ending did not give me the closure I was looking for), so here we have Ichigo doing his best to try and convey his feelings for Rukia. Wonder what she'll say... Carry on, my wayward son! If you've never read any my stories before, you'll be new to this, so I'll clue you in. Shit might get kinda heavy. If you're cool with that, stick around. Also, considering my massive workload, and my incredible amount on unfinished writing projects, updating will no doubt be slow. That said, if you are the type of person to enjoy slow, angsty stories, this should be right up your alley.**_

 ** _Oh, and credit to Laikkuseia from Deviantart for the cover image! If you enjoy IchiRuki, you'll love her artwork!_**

 _ ***MUSIC* Because it helps inspire me to write.**_

 _ **Sing To You- Monty Datta ft. Shiloh**_

 _ **Movement- Hozier**_

 _ **Like I Need U- Keshi**_

 _ **Ghost-Hydde & Hawkes**_

 _ **Coffins- Bohnes**_

 _ **Thanks for reading.**_


	2. Reemergence of Insanity

"Yeah?"

"I… I don't know what to say," Rukia answered honestly. "You're so sweet and caring… and I feel like I've known you for so long, now. We've been through so much together… but at the same time, I value your friendship so highly. I don't want to ruin it… do you know what I'm saying?"

"Essentially, you're so hung up on what ifs and negative outcomes that you're too scared to just say 'damn the consequences' and go for it," Ichigo said quietly.

"That's not what I mean at all," Rukia stomped her foot in earnest.

How was she supposed to get across what she was saying when Ichigo only ever heard what he wanted to hear? How could he be so naïve? Of course Rukia loved him! They'd been close friends for years! She only ever wanted what was best for the headstrong substitute soul reaper, and she'd have given her own life to keep him safe!

"Ichigo… you mean more to me than just about anyone under the sun," Rukia said quietly, her voice shaking. "Still, you are I are too different. I'll always be your friend, no matter what, but the type of companionship you're looking for isn't in the cards for us right now."

A wry smile pulled at Ichigo's lips, and in that instant, Rukia felt her heart break a little. Ichigo wasn't stupid. Somewhere in his heart, he'd known that this would happen. He staggered to the bed and took a seat on it, staring at the floor between his feet. He was coming down from an incredible adrenaline rush, and his entire body was raked with shivers. When it came to fighting, he had no problem getting in the flow of things. Somehow, coming to grips with the fact that his feelings for Rukia were one sided was more difficult than any fight he'd ever been in.

"Ichigo…"

Rukia took a seat next to him, and after a moment's hesitation she took hold of Ichigo's hand, pulling it into her lap and covering it with both of her own. The young man turned his sad eyes to Rukia, taking in every one of her features.

"Ichigo, I will always love you… but you know this is for the best. All we ever do is fight, anyway. That's hardly something to hang a hat on, let alone a relationship."

"I… yeah, I guess you're right."

Ichigo stood, pulling his hand from Rukia's as he made for the door.

"I-Ichigo? Where are you going?"

"To get some fresh air," he said quietly, "I need to think… don't wait up for me."

Before he could step out of his room, Rukia had appeared behind him and thrown her arms around his midsection, hugging him tightly. She didn't need to sense his spiritual pressure to know he was hurting. Ichigo stood there, torn between hating the hug and loving it more than anything. The way she held onto him, as if he were the only thing keeping her tethered to the earth, made his stomach do cartwheels.

"Please don't hate me, Ichigo."

Her arms fell away. The orange haired young man said nothing as he rounded the corner, leaving Rukia alone in his room.

* * *

The sky outside was already dark, but Ichigo didn't really care. He could handle himself against pretty much anything that roamed these streets, physical or spiritual. As he walked, Rukia's words replayed in his head, ringing like bells so that they echoed and repeated indefinitely.

'I'll always love you…. Please don't hate me, Ichigo'

"Heh… what a crock of shit."

The substitute soul reaper stuffed his hands into his pockets, headed for the canal that flowed through Karakura Town. Something about it always made him feel better, but tonight as he gazed out over the water, not even the moon seemed to rejuvenate his spirit.

'I'm such an idiot,' Ichigo realized, 'what the hell was I thinking?'

Nothing and no one answered him. The wind blew a little harder, bringing with it an intense chill that only served to remind Ichigo of Rukia. The high schooler sighed in disgust and pulled up the hood of his coat, beginning a long, slow trek along the water's edge.

As he walked, he thought of Rukia, and the way she looked, and how hard it had been to meet her eyes. They were so intense and amazing, it was like he would fall into them if he looked at them for too long.

That's when it happened.

At the same time as a gargantuan spiritual pressure erupted from somewhere in Karakura Town, a voice spoke inside Ichigo's head.

'Testing, testing, one, two, three! Can you hear me, Ichigo?'

It had been some time since Ichigo heard that drawling hiss, but there was no mistaking it. It was his own voice after all… the voice of his inner hollow.

'I'll take the constipated look on your face to mean that you can hear me! Excellent! You know, it's been far too long, Ichigo! You never call, you never write! Honestly, I'm hurt!'

Ichigo frowned as a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. There was no way that his inner hollow would be able to suddenly manifest, it was taken by Ywach, along with his Quincy powers!

'You're right, Ichigo! I was stolen away from you, but when you killed Ywach, I was released, and flung back into Hueco Mundo! It's only natural that I return to you… my old friend!'

The incredible spiritual pressure returned, and this time, Ichigo knew exactly where it was. He looked to the skies in the direction of the high school. Ordinarily, it should've been impossible to see something from so far away, but Ichigo could see it.

It was a pale figure, with a single horn protruding from his head and a jet black katana. His mask was only half formed, so Ichigo could still see his own features grinning back at him, replete with snow white skin, jet black eyes and golden irises.

"I'm over here… ICHIGO!" the hollow called out, raising his sword into the sky as black energy shot from the blade, piercing the heavens and shaking the earth.

Ichigo's cell phone began to ring. He flipped it open and put it to his ear, only to recoil from the loud voice on the other end of the line.

"Ichigo? It's Rukia! Where are you? Are you alright?!"

He was stunned for a moment. Between his broken heart and the appearance of this hollow, he knew he was in for a rough night.

"I'm at the canal. I'm fine. I'm going to investigate that spiritual pressure."

"NO! Ichigo, do not engage the enemy… I don't know what this is, but it's powerful! I'm calling the Seireitei for intel!"

Ichigo grinned. "No need. It's just an old friend dropping by. Don't worry about it, I can handle this."

"Ichigo-"

Rukia's voice was cut off as he closed the phone with a snap. Orihime and Chad would no doubt be calling him at any moment, as would Uryu. As nice as it would be to have some backup, it was probably best that he handle this on his own. Not only that, but he didn't want to have Rukia show up and make things even more complicated. He made his way to the bridge, taking long, quick steps to avoid undue attention. Once there, he activated his combat pass, hoping that people would mistake his physical form for a sleeping homeless person or drug addict instead of a dead body.

"Alright then…"

With his shinigami robes, and Zangetsu in his hand, Ichigo kicked off from the pavement, rocketing into the skies faster than the naked eye could follow.

* * *

Orihime had been washing the dishes when she sensed the overwhelming spiritual pressure. She gasped, and dropped the plate she was holding onto the floor, causing it to shatter. As she scrambled to get the shards of glass cleaned up, her phone rang, and she accidently cut her thumb. With no hesitation whatsoever, the ditzy woman put her bloodied thumb into her mouth and flipped open her phone.

"'Ello?" she asked thickly. "Oh, hai Rukia! No, I haben't twied calling Ishigo…"

"Orihime, are you eating right now? It's eleven at night, you know, you'll ruin your figure!"

"Erm, no, I cuth my thongue and now ith bleeding."

"So you're… sucking your thumb?"

"Thaliva ith nathure's dithinfecthant."

Rukia frowned. She was worried about Ichigo, but how Orihime managed to live on her own while being such a klutz was beyond her.

"Well, could you give Ichigo a call for me, please? He might answer if it's you…"

Orihime popped her thumb out of her mouth, frowning as she heard the bitterness in Rukia's tone.

"Hold on… why wouldn't he answer for you? Did you two get into an argument?"

"Er… something like that," Rukia said, gripping the blankets on Ichigo's bed as she tried to keep her composure.

"I see. I'll try calling him once I deal with this."

"Thanks Orihime, you're the best."

The redhead grinned, holding up her bloody, wrinkled thumb. "That's what they tell me!"

As soon as Orihime hung up, she swept the floor to be sure all the glass was gone, and then washed her thumb at the sink. It was hard to be one hundred percent certain at this range, but that hollow spiritual pressure felt… odd. Familiar, even. It brought to mind terrifying black spirit energy, black eyes with glowing amber irises, and a horrible skull shaped mask.

'Could it be that Ichigo's fight with Rukia caused him to manifest his hollow again?' Orihime thought sadly.

Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. She wasn't sure what had happened, all she knew was that Ichigo's hollow power only ever emerged when he was feeling threatened, or was about to be overcome.

"I have to try and help him," Orihime mumbled, putting a Band-Aid on her thumb.

* * *

Chad and Uryu ran like men possessed, headlong through the streets of Karakura Town. They had sensed an enormous spiritual pressure right over the high school. If that wasn't a clear challenge from whatever hollow had crawled out of its hidey hole, Uryu and Chad didn't know what was.

"It's not moving," Uryu observed, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

"That means it's waiting for us," Chad grunted. While he could run with the best of them, long distances seemed to wear him out more than most. It wasn't surprising, given his size and weight, but he found it best to keep conversation short and to the point, especially when he had a stitch in his side.

"Think it's a trap?" Uryu asked, panting hard.

"Does it really matter?"

The Quincy smirked. "Heh, no, I suppose it doesn't. Still…"

"What is it?"

"Does that spiritual pressure seem… familiar to you?"

Chad focused, trying to glean some insight as to who might be at the school.

"It does," he admitted, "though I'm not sure why."

"In that case, let's pick up the pace," Uryu said loudly, taking the lead as they raced towards the large black outline of the school building on the horizon.

* * *

Ichigo landed on the air over the high school, his sword slung over his shoulders, the blade bare and ready to taste blood. Meanwhile, nostalgia shot through him as he surveyed the hollow in front of him.

His mask was exactly as Ichigo remembered it, with large, dark maroon lines that ran from the forehead to the jaw. The slanted eye holes and skeletal grin gave it a malignant appearance. From the temple of the mask, a single horn jutted forward, the better to skewer ones enemies upon.

The hollow was dressed in Ichigo's old bankai shihakusho, which was now white instead of black.

"Hey there, Ichigo," the hollow said quietly, "long time, no see. How have you been? Where are all your friends?"

"Cut the bullshit," Ichigo growled, "why are you here?"

The hollow tilted its head back, grinning at Ichigo. "Isn't it obvious? I came here to put you out of your misery!"

"That doesn't seem quite right," Ichigo frowned, "you of all people should know that you have no chance of beating me. I've awakened my true powers as a soul reaper, and you were only strong because of my Quincy powers! You have no chance of defeating me, so I'll ask you again, why have you come here?!"

"Ooooh, someone's touchy today! You see Ichigo, even though I was unceremoniously ripped from my cozy little prison in your head, we are still connected. While I was in Hueco Mundo, I wasn't just sitting around waiting for rescue. I was… well, I suppose you could say I was adapting to my environment."

"What are you blabbering about?"

"Still can't connect the dots? Well, I'll make it easy for you. Honestly, how you've survived this last year without me is beyond my comprehension. You never were a bright one."

"You're telling me," Ichigo muttered to himself, still thinking about Rukia.

"At any rate, hollows only gain power by consuming other hollows. And I am, at my very core, a hollow. I spent every second of every day preying upon the denizens of Hueco Mundo, feasting on their weakness as I grew stronger. With the Arrancars in disarray, it was easy to hunt down some bigger game."

"Ok," Ichigo crossed his arms, tempted to take a seat and nod off until the explanation was over.

"And then all I had to do was wait for the right moment to strike… Now, I don't know what just happened to you, and I don't really care. But at 10:28 pm, I felt your little heart snap in two like a fucking twig," the hollow giggled, "and now I've come here to devour you, and your power. You should be thanking me. I'm come to save you from your pain, Ichigo!"

The hollow vanished and reappeared behind Ichigo, slashing with all his might as he made to cleave the shinigami in two. Ichigo rocked the blade on his shoulder backward, parrying the blow as he spun on his heel, but by the time he brought the sword around, the hollow had vanished.

"Ya missed me!"

Ichigo looked up, only to find that the hollow was already falling upon him, his blade ready to slash him out of the sky.

"Ichigo!" cried a voice.

The high schooler froze, unable to move as Rukia dove in front of him. He watched with horror as the blade of the Tensa Zangetsu ran her though, as easily as a hot knife slid through butter.

"Ah, if it isn't Rukia!" Ichigo's hollow proclaimed, gleefully smiling at the woman as she coughed up blood, unable to move or speak. "You were gonna be my grand finale, after I'd eaten Ichigo and taken his powers. I was gonna use his human body to try and get close to those dolts, Chad and Uryu… maybe run train on Orihime… but then, I was gonna find you in the Soul Society, and tear you up into itty bitty pieces. Oh, well. You know what they say about the best laid plans…"

The hollow placed a foot against Rukia, and slowly, carefully slid her off of the blade. He relished in every agonized expression she made, until finally, she fell.

Ichigo unfroze, chasing after her. He caught her just before she hit the roof of the school, setting her down against it gently.

"J-just hold on," Ichigo said, his voice quaking as he reached for a phone that wasn't in his pocket. No, it was back on his physical body… there was no way he'd be able to save Rukia unless he got a hold of Orihime.

"I-chi…go… run!" Rukia choked

Too late, the substitute shinigame saw a pair of yellow irises and a mad grin reflected in Rukia's watery eyes. A sword pierced him from behind, erupting from his sternum in a fountain of blood.

"This is where you die, Ichigo. I'll eat your suffering like dessert, and your friends and family are next. Still, at least you get to say goodbye to Rukia… but you'd better hurry. Neither of you look like you'll last much longer.

Rukia's chest heaved as she struggled to breath. She stared at Ichigo, noting how his eyes were still so sad. Far from looking to be in pain, though, he grit his teeth and stared right back at Rukia. She was reminded of a tale about a man that had died twice. First, when he had given his heart to a lover, only to have it broken, and then again, when he'd died physically. Of the two, Rukia knew which she considered to be worse, and from the look on Ichigo's face, she surmised that he knew which was worse from experience.

"Hang on… Rukia," he muttered.

The pain in Ichigo's heart seemed to seep through his body like a poison, spreading from the blade that had pierced it. Within seconds, his eyes were like that of a dead man's: completely lifeless, and devoid of any consciousness. He raised a hand and brought it to his chest, gripping the blade of the Tensa Zangetsu.

"What do you think you're-" the hollow began to ask.

SNAP!

With a silent howl, Ichigo snapped the blade of the black sword with his bare hands. The hollow growled in his throat and fired a gran ray cero from his horn, right into Ichigo's back. The substitute soul reaper flash stepped, and reappeared well behind the hollow, Rukia's body in his arms.

"You sly son of a bitch… you stole some of my power, didn't you?" the hollow cackled.

Ichigo set Rukia down behind a large air conditioning unit and took up a battle stance. He held one clawed hand over his face, and his irises began to glow golden as the corners of his eyes turned black, like ink slowly spreading over paper.

"Shut the hell up," Ichigo snarled, "you can't steal what already belongs to you."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Press 'F' for my man, Ichigo. RIP in pieces.**_

 _ **Oh, and didn't I say that this was gonna get real dicey, real fast? I swear I did.**_

 _ **At any rate, here we have the return of one of my favorite Bleach characters... hollow Ichigo! Personally, I liked Ichigo's powers pre timeskip, and I'm thinking I'm gonna have to bring them back. Don't get me wrong, his normal shinigami powers are cool, but... meh.**_

 _ **Oh, and Rukia actually does the thing. You know, where she gives her life for his. KIDDING! Geez, she's not dead. This is supposed to be a romance story, or did you already forget? Oh, and for anyone wondering, I'm thinking that Ichigo's hollow is totally a Vasto Lorde now. It spent an entire years wreaking havoc in Hueco Mundo... that thing can probably eat a lot of gillians. Now, how about some battle music to set the mood?**_

 _ ***MUSIC***_

 _ **I Can Hold A Grudge Like Nobody's Business- Adam Jensen**_

 _ **Pray- Hollywood Undead**_

 _ **Imagine That- Kevin Gates**_

 _ **Too Many Dead- Josh A & Jake Hill**_

 _ **Bad Moon- Hollywood Undead**_

 _ **Bells- The Unlikely Candidates**_

 _ **Welcome To Babylon- Woodsordeath ft. Ritual & Maxxxkii**_

 _ **Savage- Lund**_

 _ **As always, thanks for reading...BANKAI!**_


	3. Unanswered Questions and Insomnia

The world spun beneath Ichigo's feet, but he readjusted his stance to remain upright. It was getting more and more difficult each second to draw breath, but he clenched every muscle in his abdomen and forced air into his lungs. If he had to guess, Ichigo would've surmised the only thing keeping him alive at that point was his reiatsu. Ever since he was healed by the Royal Guard, his body was attuned to the powerful reishi of the Soul King's domain. As a result, his spirit energy was more potent than ever before.

This also made the fact that he had been overwhelmed so quickly by his hollow all the more terrifying. He dimly recalled learning of the greater hollows of Hueco Mundo, the most powerful variety of which were the Vasto Lordes. They were said to be even more powerful than a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and so rare that you could count all of them on both hands. If the hollow before him had managed to become one of these elite few, even Ichigo would be hard pressed to defeat him.

"Don't think you can beat me just because you broke my blade," the hollow said. "It's already repaired itself… see?"

Black energy enveloped the Tensa Zangestu, solidifying and becoming metal as it took the shape of the missing blade. Ichigo wasn't quite sure where the piece of the broken blade had gone too. He would've sworn up and down that he was holding it in his hand, but blood loss was making it difficult to concentrate.

And still, he held the hand clawed over his face, feeling the venom of the hollow's power shoot through his veins like ice, turning his limbs and inhibitions totally numb.

"Go ahead and summon your mask… if you can. It won't help you, Ichigo. This is the end of the line for you. Eheheheheeee." Hollow Ichigo let loose a menacing chuckle, sound more demented than ever before.

' _Well? What are we waiting for, Ichigo? Let's give him a show!'_ an icy voice whispered in the soul reaper's head.

And all at once, Ichigo felt the power of the hollow coursing within him, like a madness begging to be let fly. It seemed even more potent than it had last year, when he'd fought Ywach. He froze, using every ounce of willpower he could muster to hold the madness at bay. He closed his eyes, and visions flashed in the darkness. He saw a mirror image of himself, except entirely negative. Snow white skin. A white shihakusho, and black eyes that contrasted with amber irises. His inner hollow looked a little worse for wear, which wasn't too surprising given that he'd spent the last year trapped in Hueco Mundo, and he was in desperate need of a haircut.

He stood amidst great skyscrapers that had no beginning and no end, and even in his decrepit state, the hungry insanity in his eyes sent chills through Ichigo.

 _'_ _Finally,'_ the hollow grinned, crossing his arms, _'_ _It's about time you let me in on the action. Man, it's good to be home!'_

An explosion shook the school building. Windows shattered, and car alarms went off on nearby streets. Meanwhile, a mass of pitch black reiatsu swirled around Ichigo, obscuring him from the hollow's sight. Hollow Ichigo raised an arm to shield his eyes from the wind as it tore at his robes and shaggy white hair. The howling breeze was so loud in his ears that he almost didn't hear the sound of screaming from within the maelstrom of power, as if Ichigo were in great pain.

And suddenly the oppressive spiritual energy vanished. The screaming stopped. The air was clogged with dust that made it impossible to see. The sound of heavy breathing could still be made out, though it was not normal in the most lenient sense of the word.

The sound was like a warbling and strained hiss, as if some nightmarish monster were breathing for the first time in years.

A thin black blade parted the dust cloud before deftly cutting it away. The clouds parted, spiraling away into nothingness to reveal Ichigo.

Instead of his bulky Tensa Zangetsu, this one seemed more akin to his old bankai in that it was a daito. The blade was as black as ever, but the hamon of the blade was flame shaped, and colored with a deep, bloody shade of crimson. In the dim light of the moon, it almost appeared that flames were dancing along the swords edge. The spine of the blade was jagged, as was the cross shaped tsuba, giving it a much more barbaric appearance. The chain on the end of the hilt was wrapped around Ichigo's arm, all the way up to the shoulder.

He wore his old robes as well, which were much slimmer fitting. They had a high collar, and were still touched with traces of his Fullbring. Instead of sandals, he wore black boots and gloves, but the white 'X' shaped guards on his shins, forearms, and the back of his hands were now a dark red color. In fact, every trace of white had been eliminated from his ensemble. From his obi, right down to his undershirt, everything that had been white before was now blood red.

A mask adorned his face, but only the top half of it, as if he were attending a masquerade. This left his lips and chin exposed, revealing a grin that was just as bloodthirsty as the hollow's. From within the inky black depths of the mask's eye slits, two gleaming golden eyes were clearly visible.

"Shit," Ichigo growled, his mask distorting his voice, "that hurt."

He pulled his hand away from the wound in his sternum only to gasp. The mortal wound he'd been dealt was gone, replaced by a neat, baseball sized hole in his chest.

"What the-"

 _'_ _Focus on that later, Ichigo,'_ his inner hollow commanded, _'_ _he's being kind in allowing us the first strike. Don't make him wait!'_

Ichigo adjusted his expression into one more suitable for someone about to enter battle and muttered, "Right then."

The soul reaper faced up to the horned hollow, raising his sword so that it was between his and his opponents line of sight.

"So, are you finally ready to get started?" the hollow wondered mockingly.

The substitute soul reaper said nothing as he scanned his enemy for weaknesses to exploit. Oddly enough, he found several, but a tingling sensation in his lower back said that something was amiss. He turned his observations to the hollow's face, and immediately noted the hungry expression.

"I'm wide open," he grinned.

Ichigo frowned. The hollow was obviously trying to get Ichigo to lower his guard by acting nonchalant, but something told him that the instant he tried to attack, the hollow would have him right where he wanted him.

"C'mon, c'mon! I'm dying of old age! Come and get me, Ichi- hrrghk!"

The hollow's face twisted with shock and panic as a large gash appeared on his cheek. His eyes went wide when he heard Ichigo's voice coming from behind him.

"Sorry," Ichigo sighed, "I missed. Compared to my old bankai, this one is much faster… I guess that healing at the Soul King's palace was even more potent that I realized."

The hollow put a thumb to his cheek, rubbing the black ichor that oozed from the wound between his thumb and forefinger. He licked the blood from his fingertips while smiling coldly at Ichigo.

"Aw, well isn't that just precious? Little baby Ichigo has finally grown up, is that it?" the hollow spat on the ground between them. "Well, maybe you've forgotten, but I was still with you when the Royal Guard healed your injuries! My spirit energy is just as strong as yours! Not only that, but unlike you, who've been coasting along for an entire year as your powers go untested, I've been working nonstop! At this point, I'd say I'm more than a match for you!"

The hollow sprang forward, dragging his sword along behind him before bringing it around in a large, deadly arc, aiming to cut Ichigo in half at the waist. Ichigo flash stepped around the blade, reappearing on the hollow's flank. For a moment, he thought he'd managed to find an opening. Then the hollow gave him a savage smirk from over his shoulder.

Looking down, Ichigo could see the tip of his doppleganger's blade protruding from between his elbow and his side, poised to run Ichigo through.

"Gotcha!"

He stabbed, very nearly disemboweling Ichigo. He narrowly managed to parry the attack, forcing the blade of his enemy's sword downward.

"HRAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHH!" Ichigo bellowed incoherently, drawing upon the power of the hollow even more to aid his strength.

He thought of Rukia, and how she lay bleeding behind one of the air conditioning units. The thought of her eyes going dim, and her choked breathing suddenly stopping filled his with stomach with icy leaden dread. He couldn't lose her, not like this.

 _'_ _I have to finish this, NOW!_ ' Ichigo thought.

The horned hollow bared his teeth and scented the air, his nostrils flaring. "What reeks of desperation?"

Summoning as much of his spirit energy as he dared, Ichigo released a great shockwave of power with a horizontal slash. The hollow raised his blade, but was pushed back by the force of the attack, skidding across the rooftop of the school. His clothes steamed, and he was breathing heavily, but otherwise he looked unharmed. The blast hadn't even made him lose his balance.

"Is that the best you've got? I'll admit, I'm disappointed."

"Is that right?" Ichigo muttered quietly, taking a broad stance and raising his sword over his head in a tow handed grip. He poured his reiatsu into the blade, which thrummed with power. A black mass of spirit energy flickered and grew like a billowing flame, until-

"Gestuga… TENSHOU!"

The energy careened towards the hollow, who stood firm in the face of the attack. He slowly brought an arm across his chest, letting the mass of power approach. When it was about to make contact, the hollow swatted it away with the back of his hand, sending the energy skyward, where it dissipated and vaporized against the light of the moon.

"Whoopsie… wasn't that supposed to be your trump card?" the hollow smiled wickedly, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo roared.

He flung himself forward, taking the hollow by surprise as they crossed blades. The roof of the school cracked and buckled beneath their feet, but still they fought. Neither could seem to get the upper hand on the other, though they both managed to dole out minor cuts in equal measure. As they slashed, parried, countered, and stabbed, Ichigo's hollow mask grew. It got so large that the jagged teeth nicked his chin when he ducked beneath a decapitating blow.

'Ah, good. The mask is fully formed,' the hollow in Ichigo's mind hissed, 'Looks like you're taking the bench, now.'

The two hollows broke apart, but while one was panting and on guard, the other was quite carefree. He took deep breaths, enjoying the smell of fresh air.

"It's about time I got a little action," he mused to himself.

He released his grip on the Tensa Zengetsu, letting it hang like a large, deadly charm on a gaudy bracelet. He untangled the chain from his arm, using it like an extension as he swung the blade over his head without any apparent effort.

"What the… who the hell are you?" the hollow in white asked.

"Isn't it obvious? Why, I'm Ichigo, of course!"

Before the horned hollow could get in another word, the one in Ichigo's body stopped spinning the sword over his head. Gripping the chain in a two handed manner, he flash stepped, finally coming to a stop on the other side of the hollow. The sound of clinking chain was heard, and the sword cut a path of destruction as it spiraled through the air. It seemed to pass through the hollow in white, leaving him unharmed.

Then, everything between the point where Ichigo had been, and the spot he was currently standing in was cut in half.

Air conditioning units rumbled to a standstill. Their internals cut cleanly in half. Electrical boxes sparked. Generators stopped working.

Then the hollow himself was sundered, through one arm, his abdomen, and then through the other. One would think that victory had been assured, and that there was no need for any more violence. That was when the clinking of chain was heard once more, and the white hollow's mask was shattered by the Tensa Zangetsu, which was whipped around so quickly that his dying eyes hadn't even seen it coming.

"Huuuuuaaaaaaaaggghhh," the hollow in black exhaled deeply, as though in relief. Slowly, he turned his gaze to the side, where he saw a pale, slender arm sticking out from behind an air conditioning unit, which had been cut clean in half horizontally.

* * *

"Uryu! Chad! Over here!" Orihime waved at her friends before turning her gaze back to the school building, She couldn't see the battle that was taking place, and she could only feel two reiatsus. Rukia's spiritual pressure had appeared as well, though it was fading away rapidly. Orihime didn't want to consider the implications of a slowly diminishing reiatsu. It couldn't be good.

"Orihime! What's going on?" Uryu asked, breathing heavily as he followed her gaze to the building, adjusting his spectacles once again.

"I don't know… but we need to get up there as soon as possible!"

"This spiritual pressure," Chad muttered quietly, "that's… Ichigo. And his hollow… no wait, they're... merging?!"

Chad's eyes went wide. He dropped to one knee, and skin of his arm transformed, becoming oddly colored, and forming large, jutting shoulder protrusions. The end of one of these protrusions came to life with spirit energy, and pushed against the ground beneath Chad.

"Grab hold of me," he commanded, releasing the pent up pressure and achieving liftoff.

Orihime and Uryu clung to Chad as if he were some sort of giant rocket, headed straight for the moon. They alighted on the rooftop, only to be greeted by a scene from a nightmare. There was blood everywhere… far too much blood for one person to lose without dying, and there amidst the gore, was Ichigo. He wore his bankai robes, and his Tensa Zangetsu looked like a daito, as it had before the Thousand Year Blood War. When he turned to observe the approach of his friends, they all recoiled, noting the presence of his hollow mask.

Each breath he took steamed the air, which felt twenty degrees colder after Uryu, Orihime, and Chad had seen Ichigo's mask.

He turned around completely, and cradled in his arms, with blood stained robes and a great wound in her midriff, was Rukia.

"Orihime," Ichigo said, his voice distorted and warbling as he spoke, "you have to… help Rukia."

The substitute soul reaper took a shaky step forward. Blood dripped from his wounds. His mask slowly began to crumble, leaving Ichigo bloody and bruised, but still alive. With his hollow hole gone, the gaping wound through his sternum had returned, and every step he took made him a little woozier.

His bankai robes fell away, revealing his normal shihakusho, which was torn to shreds. Ichigo fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he gently rocked Rukia in his arms.

"C'mon, Rukia, wake up! It'll be ok, Orihime is here now!"

A great weight seemed to fall upon Ichigo. It made his hands shake and his eyelids heavy. His mind felt incredibly slow. He had the foresight to gently place Rukia on the ground, and by the time he'd set her down, it was already too much for him to remain conscious.

"Santen Keshuun, I reject!" Orihime cried as Ichigo dropped down next to Rukia. Her face was the last thing he saw, and it wove itself into his dreams as he fell unconscious.

* * *

"C'mon, Ichigo, wake up!"

A pain in his face brought him through the fog of gentle slumber, and it wasn't long before the rest of his body followed suit. It felt as though he'd been hit by a truck. He opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his ceiling, noting how heavy he felt.

Then Rukia's face entered his line of sight.

"Gah! Rukia! What are- I mean what's- how did we-"

She put a finger to hip lips, "Shut up, Ichigo. It's night time."

He looked to the window, confirming Rukia's words… but that still begged the question-

"Why the hell are you in my bed with me?" Ichigo whispered through Rukia's finger.

She frowned, wiping the saliva from her finger onto Ichigo's blanket.

"I was placed here with you so that Orihime could heal us… she was at it for hours before Uryu and Chad told her to go home and rest. Uryu and Chad left as well… they found the remains of the hollow you defeated, and assumed the enemy was gone. Yuzu and Karin went to bed, they're worn out. I guess you really had them worried."

Ichigo frowned. To his knowledge, he'd never had to be carried back home in his physical form. It had probably terrified his sisters to think something had happened to him.

He looked under the blankets, realizing that he was back in his physical body. A quick glance confirmed Rukia was in her gigai, as well.

"What are you looking at?" she wondered, scrunching up her eyebrows.

"I was just checking to making sure you were in your gigai," Ichigo said, a little red in the face. "You're kinda heavy, y'know?"

Rukia's cheeks turned the color of strawberries. For the first time, she seemed to realize that she was straddling Ichigo, and the only thing separating them were their bedclothes, and Ichigo's thin blankets.

"I was told to watch over you," Rukia said defensively, but getting off of Ichigo nonetheless, "and I figured if you woke up still fighting, it'd be best to restrain you."

"Whatever you say," the high schooler's voice was small, and his face was extremely hot.

Rukia kneed Ichigo in the side, "Scoot over, will ya? And give me some of the blankets, while you're at it."

Ichigo made room, keeping himself as stiff as a board as Rukia clambered under the covers with him.

"So… explain somethin' to me, Rukia."

"Hmm?"

"How are you still alive? And what happened after I passed out?"

"After I got stabbed, I used my shikai to freeze my injuries," she explained, "that's why I'm shivering, actually… but I'd rather be cold than dead. As for what happened after you passed out, I can only tell you what I was told. I only woke up a few hours before you did…."

"And?"

Rukia froze. She wasn't quite sure why she hesitated, but something told her that the subject of the hollow might be touchy for Ichigo.

"The hollow was defeated, though at the same time, Chad thought you might've… absorbed it, somehow. Uryu, on the other hand, says that the hollow's spiritual pressure slowly faded away after you beat it. Orihime wasn't sure what to believe… I guess she was so preoccupied with our injuries that she wasn't paying attention."

Ichigo smiled. "Yea, that's Orihime, for you."

"Yeah," Rukia smiled as well. It felt nice to just lay there and share a joke. It was no secret that Orihime was ditzy, but those who called themselves her friends loved her for it all the same.

"Let's see. After that, Chad and Uryu scanned the area, and determined that the enemy hadn't gotten away, and they brought us back here to finish healing because the police and fire departments were on their way to the school. I guess you did quite a number on it."

A shadow crossed Ichigo's face as he recalled the extensive damage to the school building he had inadvertently caused. He would be eternally grateful that his shinigami form wasn't visible to normal humans, otherwise he'd be in debt for the rest of his life. Then a knot formed in his esophagus.

"Chad, Uryu, and Orihime probably got caught on camera," he realized.

"Uryu took care of that," Rukia said, deftly deflating Ichigo's panic bubble.

"Ah, that's good." He fell back against his pillows, and it felt like falling into a cloud. He'd only just woken up, and his eyes were already getting harder to keep open.

"How long was I out?"

"About twenty four hours," Rukia admitted. She met Ichigo's stunned gaze.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" he asked.

"Shut up!" Rukia flicked his forehead, making him yelp with pain.

"What the hell did I do to deserve that?" Ichigo whispered.

"You're sisters are sleeping," Rukia reminded him, "let them rest."

"Right… sorry."

"And in any case, your soul was shoved back into your body before you could properly heal, so it's natural that you would need rest. Normally, we might have waited, but I guess the cops are everywhere. Rumors about what caused the damage to the school have the entire town on high alert, so they couldn't leave you under the bridge like that."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

Ichigo waited for Rukia to speak more. Something shuddered beside him, and he turned. Rukia was looking markedly uncomfortable.

"What is it? If you gotta pee, the bathroom is right down the hall."

"It's not that," Rukia uttered. "I… I have a favor to ask of you, Ichigo."

"Depends on what it is," Ichigo said, raising an eyebrow.

She didn't meet his eyes. "I know it may seem… insensitive… considering what happened yesterday, but…"

Ichigo frowned. Yesterday? What had happened yesterday?

The memories flooded back. Suddenly, his closeness with Rukia seemed a million times more awkward than it had been before… but why couldn't he bring himself to care? Normally, he'd have been hesitant to even be close to her, let alone lying in bed with her. Did it have something to do with how tired he was? Or maybe it was the hollow he'd absorbed? At any rate, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was nothing wrong with two injured friends sharing a bed.

"…could we… snuggle?"

Ichigo's calm was suddenly gone. Lightning shot through his body. It had been one thing to be straddled by her through a blanket while he was half dead from exhaustion, but now that he was awake, he wasn't sure he could handle it. What if he started sweating profusely? What if smelled bad? He hadn't had the chance to shower in twenty four hours!

"You… wanna snuggle?"

"I used my shikai to freeze myself… and now I can't seem to get warm," Rukia explained, her voice quaking as she shivered. "You don't have to… I'm sure I'll get warmer sooner or later…"

"It's fine," Ichigo said, "c'mere."

They scooted closer together. Ichigo laid on his back, and Rukia clung to him, pressing herself against his warm body. The guy was like a furnace, and she felt her body temperature rise significantly the moment they'd touched. She laid her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart as he threw an arm over her waist.

"Thanks, Ichigo." Rukia's muffled voice came from his side.

"It's no big deal," he muttered.

It wasn't long before Rukia had fallen asleep, leaving Ichigo wide awake. He thought about his hollow, and how there had been two of them. He considered how that might be possible, and he thought about Orihime, Chad, and Uryu. He thought about the looks on their faces when they'd seen his hollow mask. And of course, he thought about Rukia. He thought about how much it hurt to be so close to her and yet still be so far away.

Was there a way for him to bridge the gap between them? Was there a chance, even a slim one, that they could be happy together? From the way things were looking, it was getting less and less likely by the day. Then he looked down at Rukia, and her pale face. There were bags under her eyes, and she looked almost sickly in the cold light of the moon that poured in from his window. Clearly, she hadn't fully recovered yet, so it would do him no good to wake her up and argue.

And even though Ichigo's heart ached as he recalled her words from the night before, he felt supremely pleased that he was able to provide a little comfort for her. She shivered in her sleep, and held onto him a little more tightly. Her limbs were like ice, but Ichigo was fine with it. They felt cool and soothing against his countless injuries.

Ichigo smiled bitterly to himself, sure that sleep would be impossible given the woman in his arms. He laid there for hours, listening to her breath, and taking what little satisfaction he could in the rather one sided situation. It seemed unfair that she ask so much of him and without giving anything in return. Then he remembered how it felt before she had visited, and he was just glad to have her so close. It wouldn't be long before she had to return to the Seireitei, after all. He finally managed to fall asleep at twilight, when birds began to chirp outside his window, and he dreamed sweet dreams of he and Rukia living happily together in Karakura town, with no hollows, no soul reapers, and no problems.

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 ** _You'll have to forgive any spelling errors. I'm tired and don't have the capacity to read through this for a third time. I can only hope reading it isn't as much of a slog for you as it was for me._**

 ** _In any case, Ichigo's power evolve once again, and we see him somehow using a bankai that was broken! Care to guess why that is? We also see now one,_** ** _but two hollow Ichigos! And, of course, a little IchiRuki fluff to tie it all up. I'll be taking a break form this fic to figure out a plot, (yeah, I'm writing with no_** ** _storyline here. Expectations should be pretty low) and work on some other projects._**

 ** _Here's some music to set the mood..._**

 ** _The Mask- Matt Maeson (thought this was kinda fitting cause of the hollow masks)_**

 ** _Things Change- grandson_**

 ** _Roses- Benny Blanco and Juice WRLD ft. Brendon Urie_**

 ** _listen if you hate someone- vaboh_**

 ** _Small Talk- Call Security_**

 ** _Thanks for reading._**


	4. Karin and Yuzu, Scandalized!

Under normal circumstances, Yuzu avoided going into her brother's room. Not that Ichigo really cared if she entered, but it was a matter of personal space. Her brother would never tell her if she was bothering him, anyway, so she generally just left him to his own devices.

This morning, however, she couldn't do that. She had been specifically instructed to bring Ichigo his breakfast and to keep him in bed by any means necessary.

"I'm sure he'll be fine in a little while," Orihime had told her, "but he'll heal faster if he doesn't expend any spirit- I mean, any energy. So, bring him a big breakfast with lots of healthy food and let him have a lie in. I'll be over later tomorrow to check on him."

An image of Orihime flashed behind Yuzu's eyes as she made her way up the stairs to Ichigo's room. The redhead had become so strong and self-assured that it was hard to believe she was the same shy girl Yuzu used to know.

And now Rukia had returned as well, which was odd, seeing as she hadn't been around for almost a year. Not that Yuzu particularly minded Rukia's presence. She was almost like an estranged older sister, though she sometimes did weird things. Like, what sort of person didn't know how a television worked?

Yuzu sighed. Rukia had changed, as well. Just like Orihime, she seemed quite self-assured, though what caught Yuzu's attention was Rukia's temper. It had mellowed substantially over the last two years, which was nice. She didn't miss listening to Ichigo and Rukia yelling at each other.

In fact, during these last few days the two of them were as thick as thieves. Even when Ichigo got into dangerous situations, Rukia was there the majority of the time. Like yesterday, for instance, when Ichigo and Rukia had been carried into the house by Chad.

It was good that Ichigo had such loyal friends, but at the same time, Yuzu was worried for her brother.

It would take an idiot not to notice the way his eyes lit up whenever he saw Rukia. Cool and aloof though Ichigo might be, when it came to romance, the guy was an amateur. Yuzu could spot a love-struck fool from a mile away, and unless she was mistaken, her brother had fallen for Rukia.

However, Yuzu was concerned because it would also take an idiot not to notice that wherever Rukia was, trouble seemed to follow her. And more often than not, Ichigo was dragged right into the thick of it, usually by his own stubborn need to help others.

Yuzu pursed her lips, facing down Ichigo's door. He and Rukia were supposed to be in there, but she couldn't hear anything. It was already half past nine, so you'd think they would be up by now.

Without knocking, Yuzu turned the knob and let herself in, only to be frozen on the threshold.

Ichigo and Rukia were laying together, their bodies pressed against one another as they snored.

The teenager's eyes went wide as she looked between her brother and Rukia, wondering what was going on between them.

'Could it be that they're…'

Ichigo sniffled in his sleep, pulling Rukia against him. She groaned quietly, but gave a soft smile.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu asked.

It wasn't odd for her brother to be gone for days at a time, and it was normal for him to completely vanish. What _wasn't_ normal was for Ichigo to suddenly be sharing a bed with a woman. For the most part, he'd been something of a loner. To Yuzu's knowledge, he'd never even had a girlfriend.

She had been hoping that Orihime might one day manage to capture Ichigo's attention… of everyone she knew, Yuzu couldn't think of a couple that deserved to be happy more than Ichigo and Orihime.

When no response was forthcoming, Yuzu set her brother's and Rukia's breakfast down on his desk and left the room, heading straight back down to the kitchen where she poured herself some orange juice and thought long and hard about how her brother had changed in three short years.

"It's… like I don't know him anymore," she said to herself.

"You talkin' about Ichigo?" Karin asked, having been eating her breakfast at the counter.

"GYAH! When did you get in here?!"

"I was in here before you," Karin noted dryly.

Over the last three years, Karin had undergone changes as well. Her once volatile attitude had become numb to the point of callousness, though her blunt wit was wielded with such precision that most of the people in her class either knew to steer clear of her or loved her.

She was an avid gamer, though it was mostly because she had little enough to keep her occupied. While she wasn't the most charming person, Yuzu loved her sister very much, and if Ichigo and Isshin were both out of the house, Karin was the muscle of the Kurosaki family.

"Anyway, you're talking about how Ichigo has been acting, right?" Karin took a sip of soda (which she probably shouldn't have had that early in the morning) and raised her eyebrow at Yuzu, whom had gone very red in the face.

"Y-you heard that?"

"Again, I've been in here the whole time," Karin reiterated, "and at any rate, I'd have to agree with you. He's been… kinda weird lately. First he was all sad, and now it's like having Rukia staying with us is the best thing in the world. And now he's coming home all banged up. I wonder what must've happened…"

Karin looked thoughtful for a moment.

It had been a year since Ichigo had returned from his longest excursion yet. He'd been gone for over week without saying so much as a 'Goodbye' to anyone. And when he came back… well, it was hard for Karin to explain, but looking at her brother gave her the shivers. It was obvious to her that Ichigo had regained his powers, but something must've happened to make him even stronger, because his spirit energy was unbearably heavy. Not only that, but the look in his eyes when he had first come back was haunting, like a man who'd watched a lot of good people die.

Whatever had happened, Karin had known better than to ask about it, and she decided that if Ichigo didn't want to discuss it with her, she wouldn't pry.

It had taken some time, but that haunted look had waned. Ichigo had learned to smile again, and he slowly managed to bring his grades up after the school year started. Sure, he had still been rather distant and distracted, but the fact that he had come back in one piece was all Karin could've asked for. Something told her that whatever Ichigo had been a part of was probably pretty serious, and the fact that all of his friends had returned with him was good.

But it didn't change the fact that up until Rukia had returned, Ichigo had been a completely different person.

"What's got you all worked up?" Karin asked suddenly, shooting a concerned glance at her sister.

"I… well, I brought Ichigo breakfast, and when I went in his room-"

"Aw, geez, c'mon, I'm trying to eat," Karin said, though she had yet to touch her eggs.

"Wha-NO! They weren't- I mean Ichigo wouldn't-"

"Well, I sure as hell don't want to hear about it!" Karin said loudly.

"They were just cuddling! That's it! And I thought that it seemed odd that Ichigo never told us he and Rukia were…"

"Did someone say my name?" Ichigo asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"GYAAAAH! Why are you guys always sneaking up on me?!" Yuzu shrieked.

Ichigo blinked. He could've sworn he'd heard his name mentioned, but he was sure that his sisters were just concerned about his wellbeing. He made to walk past Yuzu when she blocked his path. She had an oven mitt on each hand, and looked ready to firmly but gently beat him into submission and drag him back to his room.

"Orihime said you need bedrest," Yuzu said, "go back to bed, Ichigo!"

"Hmm? Oh, I will, Rukia just asked me to get her some more orange juice."

Both Yuzu and Karin were stunned, their jaws hanging wide open as Ichigo poured two glasses of orange juice and vanished back up the staircase.

"Oh my god," Karin said, covering her mouth.

"You see?" Yuzu asked, sounding distressed. Tears came to her eyes, and for the first time, she realized how grown up her brother had become. It was hard to comprehend that he would soon be attending college, or getting a job. Either way, his time with their family would soon be coming to an end as he branched out, and started his own.

"I didn't think he had it in him," Karin said, picking her nose before flicking it away.

"Wash your hands you heathen!" Yuzu shouted.

* * *

"What's with all the commotion?" Rukia asked, accepting a glass of orange juice from Ichigo.

"No clue."

He sat on the edge of the bed, trying hard to remember how he had felt last night. The thought of Rukia pressed up against him was something he never wanted to forget.

"Hey, Ichigo? I just… well, I wanted to thank you. For saving me."

"Don't mention it," he said, "it's way too early in the morning for that kinda talk, anyway."

"Well, I was thinking… I'd like to find a way to repay you."

Ichigo furrowed his brow, trying to ignore the unpleasant squirming in his navel. To his knowledge, Rukia had nothing of value, and no money on her person, so what exactly could she have been insinuating? He didn't bother to ask. Instead, he took a long draught from his glass of orange juice and said, "That's not really necessary, Rukia. You're a friend. I don't need any more reason than that to save someone."

Rukia fidgeted nervously with her hands, which were still wrapped around the glass Ichigo had handed her. She sat on the bed behind him, wondering if she was about to make a mistake… but a part of her didn't care. Ichigo deserved to know how she felt about him, and how much she appreciated all he did.

"Even so, I'd like to try…"

She set her glass aside and knelt on the bed before draping herself over Ichigo's shoulder. She wrapped him in a hug, which he reciprocated by reaching up and holding her arm. She felt him grow tense, but the tension slowly dissolved as Ichigo grew used to it. Then, without warning, Rukia turned, and planted a small kiss on Ichigo's cheek.

It was barely more than a peck, but she felt it was the least she could do for the man that had saved her so many times.

"R-Rukia? What the hell was that?"

"I kissed you, dumbass," she said quietly.

"Well, yeah, I figured that out! But I mean… why?"

"Because… you mean a lot to me, Ichigo. Please don't ever forget that."

She buried her face in the nape of his neck, still hugging him tightly. Ichigo licked his lips… should he go in for the kill? Would it start a fight if he tried?

"Rukia… give me a chance," Ichigo said quietly, "just one. I'll prove to you that I can make us work. I'll do whatever it takes… one date, before you go back to the Seireitei. That's all I'm asking."

Rukia's eyes shot open, and a nervous tingle worked through her whole body. A date? With Ichigo? If she developed her relationship with him any further, it would only make leaving harder… at the same time, he wasn't asking for much. How much harm could one date cause?

Her pride screamed at her to deny him. Her honor told her to respectfully decline.

But her heart told her to give it a try.

"Alright," Rukia said, "one date. Don't mess it up, Ichigo."

"No worries there." he said, looking much happier than he had before, "I've already sort of… got one planned. How about tomorrow? At six?"

Rukia laughed, and it filled Ichigo with vigor. He felt completely unstoppable.

"Moving kinda fast, aren't you? Fine then. Six it is… Do I dress formally or casually?"

"Casually," Ichigo said. "Let's keep it simple and sweet. Dinner and a movie. Sound good?"

"Yeah, yeah. I already agreed to the date, didn't I? Sheesh, you're so pushy," Rukia fell back onto the bed, but despite her pursed lips, her heart felt as light as a feather, and it was beating faster than ever before.

* * *

Karin and Yuzu would never forget that day. It was the day Ichigo became the big brother they never wanted.

He smiled and whistled, helping Yuzu do the dishes, only to end up shattering a plate. He tried to help Karin with her homework, but only ended up stumped.

"When the hell did they put this kinda shit in algebra?!" he demanded, looking at Karin's homework as if it were a hollow.

He tried to vacuum the carpet in the living room, but ended up knocking over a lamp. When he tried to clean up the shattered lightbulb, he accidentally spread shards of glass all over the carpet.

He wasn't deterred, though. He smiled and laughed it all off, looking like a different person. He gave his sisters noogies and ruined their hairdos before deciding to go get in the shower. As he bathed, Karin and Yuzu heard him singing. He was not a very good vocalist.

"Do you think he got laid?" Karin asked quietly.

"Shut up!" Yuzu said, putting her fingers in her ears to silence her sister's vulgarity.

"Oh, is Ichigo in the shower?"

It was Rukia. She had taken off her night clothes and was dressed in Ichigo's bathrobe. Again, Yuzu was scandalized, but Karin crossed her arms.

"Hey Rukia, could we talk to you for a sec?"

The three girls all sat down in the living room. Rukia placed herself gracefully on the couch. She crossed her legs and kicked a foot while twisting a finger in her hair.

"Rukia, Ichigo has been acting… strangely," Karin said, doing her best to put it nicely.

The shinigami frowned. Her thoughts returned to their battle with the hollow.

"How so?" she asked, suddenly sharp as a tack.

"He's been… chipper." Yuzu said.

"Chipper?"

"Overly happy," Karin said, "optimistic… overall, just a giant pain in the-"

"What Karin is trying to say," Yuzu said, shooting her sister a glare, "is that ever since you've come back, Ichigo has been acting odd."

"And we were wondering what there was between the two of you," Karin explained, leaning forward in the armchair. "Believe it or not, we're very protective of our brother… and it seems like you two are getting… familiar."

"If Ichigo's acting strange, it may be because we're going on a date tomorrow," Rukia said, giving the sisters a smile, "unless you two don't approve..."

Rukia waited for one of them to say something. Yuzu looked to be on the verge of tears once again. Karin was frowning.

"No, that explains a lot. I love my brother, but he's terrible at keeping his family and friends in the loop. We're fine with the two of you dating, but there's something you should know…"

Karin looked Rukia dead in the eye, and Rukia felt the girl's spiritual pressure inflate like a balloon.

"If you hurt my big brother, I'll send you back to where you came from so fast it'll make your head spin."

The soul reaper's eyes went wide. Yuzu covered her face with her hands, stunned at her sister's rudeness. Meanwhile, Rukia was fixated on the reiatsu coming from Karin. It wasn't nearly as strong as Ichigo's, but for an ordinary human it was quite strong. And for someone with absolutely no training, who did her utmost to repress her abilities, it was even more impressive. At her current level, she could easily give a third or fourth seat a run for their money in terms of raw power.

But then Rukia thought about her next mission, the entire reason she'd been given two weeks off, and her throat grew tight. She hadn't given it much thought, but there was no doubt that Ichigo would end up hurt when all was said and done. Not after his confession the other night.

"Hey, is everything ok out here?" Ichigo asked.

He wore only a towel around his waist, and he looked between Rukia, Karin, and Yuzu with a worried expression.

"No," Rukia said, her mouth dry, "we were just talking."

"So what's this about a date, Ichigo?" Karin said, finally tearing her gaze from Rukia.

"Oh, you told them? Well, it's what she said, we're going on a date tomorrow."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Yuzu demanded, scrunching her nose up at Ichigo.

"Uuuh, well, you didn't ask," Ichigo said rubbing the back of his head. "I guess it just slipped my mind."

"I'm going to go shower," Rukia said flashing Ichigo a smile before heading into the bathroom herself.

Karin watched her go, uncertain about all the change that was going on. She knew one thing for sure, however: the fact that Rukia could not meet her eyes when she talked about hurting Ichigo was not a good sign. Karin would watch and wait, as she always did. And if anything happened to Ichigo, she knew right where to go for answers.

As soon as Ichigo left for his room, Yuzu turned to Karin.

"Why were you being so mean to Rukia?"

"Something isn't right," Karin said, "I don't know what it is… but something is bothering Rukia about all this. And I'm worried about Ichigo."

Yuzu bit her lip. Karin wasn't one to get worked up for no reason, nor was she one to tell a lie. If she was worried, then there was almost definitely something else going on.

"For Ichigo's sake, I hope you're wrong," Yuzu muttered. "I haven't seen him this happy in… ever."

"Yeah," Karin agreed, "I hope I'm wrong, too."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Ok, so I lied when I said I was gonna work on another project. It turns out I was on a roll with this, and before I knew it I'd typed up another chapter. Here we have Karin and Yuzu, and their takes on this mess. Also, we get a little more fluff, and a hinting an a new plotline that was lazily thought up by me in like three minutes! Dun dun duuuuuun. I've also gotten a couple scathing reviews about how Ichigo and Rukia's differences aren't that bad. I'm amazed that I even got a reaction, given how old Bleach's fanbase is, but it's cool to know there are other people out there who are as hardcore IchiRuki fans as myself. In any case, I plan on addressing that in future chapters. Just sit tight.**_

 _ **Music!**_

 _ **Still Feel- Half*Alive**_

 _ **Hallowed- Lund**_

 _ **Love Won't Sleep- Lostboycrow**_

 _ **Drops of Jupiter-Train**_

 _ **Two Princes- Spin Doctors**_

 _ **Accidentally In Love- Counting Crows**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Light's Out, Ichigo's Only Chance!

Noon came and went, and everyone sat down to lunch, which was carefully prepared and specially crafted by Ichigo. To everyone's surprise, he was actually an able cook, though his skills were nowhere near as perfected as Yuzu's. After lunch, he washed the dishes, and Rukia rinsed them. Karin watched the two of them carefully, pretending to be interested in her PSP. She kept getting game over because she was so busy looking at Rukia. Whenever Ichigo turned away from the soul reaper, her smile faltered, and she looked uncertain.

Meanwhile, Yuzu pretended to be absorbed in a newspaper, though the constant rustling of her shifting it to peer at Rukia and Ichigo sort of ruined any chances at being low profile.

Later, Orihime, Chad, and Uryu all came to visit, and Ichigo led his friends to his room.

"You guys hungry? Or thirsty?" Yuzu called as they tromped up the staircase after Ichigo.

"No, thanks."

"I'm fine, thank you."

"All good here, Yuzu."

* * *

Uryu, Chad, and Orihime sat on Ichigo's bed, and Rukia took his desk chair. This left Ichigo to stand, feeling quite out of place. It wasn't often he had all of his friends in his room.

"So, Ichigo, how are you feeling?" Orihime asked, her voice steady as she looked him up and down.

Though she tried to hide it, Ichigo could see the concern in her eyes. He gave her a smile and said, "Never better. My spirit energy is weak, but I have no wounds to speak of. You do good work, Orihime. Thanks."

Orihime blushed, turning away from Ichigo's gaze. Uryu quickly took up the questioning.

"So, Ichigo, can you take us all through what happened? Chad and I deduced that you fought and killed a hollow, but it also appeared that you absorbed it. Looking at your reiatsu now, I can see that it's changed since yesterday."

The substitute soul reaper rubbed the top of his head, feeling the gazes of his friends on him as he tried to figure out where to begin.

"Well, I was out for a walk when I felt a Garganta open nearby, and a powerful spiritual pressure appeared…."

The tired young man spun the tale of his fight against his inner hollow, which had been ripped out of him by Yhwach along with his Quincy abilities, and consequently tossed into Hueco Mundo. He explained that his hollow had fed on other hollows, and that it had become a Vasto Lorde before returning to challenge him.

"After that, he stabbed Rukia, then me. I managed to absorb some of his power, and now I can hollowfy like before… my hollow- er, my _inner_ hollow, took over, and started fighting against the one from Hueco Mundo. Beyond that I remember seeing you guys on the rooftop of the school before passing out."

Ichigo shrugged. He sounded unconcerned about the issue, but Rukia knew full well that his brain was buzzing with questions.

"And since then, has anything changed?" Chad inquired.

"Not that I can tell."

Silence permeated the room. Uryu scratched his chin thoughtfully, but if he had any thoughts, he did not share them. Chad suddenly stood, making Orihime jump.

"Is something wrong?" Rukia asked.

"No, I just have to go to work," Chad said, glancing at his watch, "I'll be off at midnight if you guys wanna hang out."

"Well, geez, it was nice seeing you for a whole five minutes," Ichigo groaned, throwing open the door for the large, muscular man.

Chad grinned at Ichigo, slugging him lightly on the shoulder before walking past him and out the door. Yuzu could be heard yelling goodbye to Chad before the front door closed.

"Damn," Ichigo muttered, "everyone is so busy."

"Tell me about it," Orihime said, casting a worried glance at Uryu.

Though the bespectacled high schooler was just as busy as Ichigo when it came to slaying hollows, Uryu Ishida had Ichigo beat in that he was taking highly advanced classes to earn as many college credits as possible before the year ended. His stress was notable in the dark bags beneath his eyes, and the way his normally superhuman focus was now marred by occasional spacing out.

"How do you do it, Uryu?" Orihima asked. "How do you work three part time jobs, keep your grades up, and still find time to hunt hollows?"

He ignored the question for a moment, his eyes unfocused as his elbow slowly slid off his knee. He fell forward, his forehead bouncing off of his kneecap before he was upright, blinking away tears and sleep deprivation.

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Orihime?"

The woman with long strawberry blonde hair gave a chuckle.

"Your glasses are crooked," she smiled, leaning in close to straighten them while Uryu blushed and leaned away from her.

"You ok there, Uryu?" Rukia raised an eyebrow. "You look a little… flustered."

The Quincy's entire face was beet red, and he cleared his throat before saying, "Right… well… I should… head out as well… things to do. Oh, and Ichigo, you should talk to Urahara. I'm sure he'll have something to say on the subject of hollowfication."

"Mister Urahara has something to say about everything," Orihime realized thoughtfully. "In any case, I should walk Uryu home. I don't want him getting hit by a bus or something."

"Good idea," Ichigo and Rukia agreed.

"I can find my way home on my own, thanks very much," Uryu mumbled dryly, throwing open the door.

"That's the door to the closet, pal," Ichigo smiled, crossing his arms.

Uryu frowned. He'd been up for almost forty eight hours without sleep. It was hardly his fault that all the doors in Ichigo's house were painted the same color. Or were they? He couldn't quite remember…

"C'mon, Uryu," Orihime said gently, taking his hand and leading him towards the correct door.

His face became red once more as he allowed Orihime to pull him from the room.

"Call us if anything happens, Ichigo! Bye, Rukia!"

"Bye Orihime!" Rukia called. "Bye Uryu!"

"Bye Rukia… see ya Ichigo."

"Yeah, later guys."

And just like that, Ichigo and Rukia were alone. The high schooler slumped against the wall, feeling worn out. It was nice to see all of his friends, but recently, this was how all of their meetings had been. Looking at his watch, Ichigo saw that it hadn't even been an entire hour since they had arrived. Time was getting more and more difficult to come by as each of them took on more responsibilities in preparation for adulthood.

"It's part of growing up," Rukia said, noticing Ichigo's sullen expression.

He sighed, "I know… I guess I just thought I'd have a little longer with them before life started pulling us away from each other."

The rest of the day passed in a lazy haze, where Ichigo and Rukia stayed home and drank coffee, and lounged in their pajamas. The school had released a statement saying that class had been suspended until repairs had been made to the roof, and Rukia still had another week until she had to return to the Seireitei. Isshin Kurosaki had been at a pharmaceutical conference for some time, but likely wouldn't be returning any time soon.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and early for Ichigo, who found that Rukia had stolen all of the covers, and most of the bed. She smirked in her sleep, and he knew better than to try and wrest control of the blankets from her. She'd just end up kicking him in the face. He made his way to the kitchen, listening to the coffee maker boil and hiss as he looked out the window.

It was the day of his and Rukia's date, and a sense of purpose seemed to fill Ichigo's limbs with energy. His fingers and toes tingled as he put a hand to his head. After such a long period of nothing, everything suddenly felt as if it were happening all at once. His hollow had merged with him once again, he had reclaimed an old bankai thought to be broken, and he was supposed to take Rukia to dinner and a movie. Oh, and he had to try and fit a visit to Kisuke Urahara's shop into his schedule.

As if shaking the doubt from his mind, Ichigo shook his head. First thing was first, he needed to do something. The energy within him was so overwhelming that he couldn't sit still. He put on some sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and some running shoes. Grabbing his mp3 player, he threw in some headphones, and within a few minutes, Ichigo was pounding the pavement.

As he ran, he felt his anxiety over the date melt away as he focused on the steady rhythm of his footfalls.

His heart raced, but he paid it no mind. He concentrated on the task at hand, running until sweat coated his brow and his breathing was ragged and broken.

Gulping down the cold fall air like it was water, he returned home to find a fresh pot of coffee, and his sisters in the kitchen. Yuzu looked like a zombie, and she poured herself a very large cup of coffee. Karin looked like she hadn't slept at all.

"Where were you, Ichigo?"

"Running," he said shortly, grabbing a clean change of clothes and heading to the shower.

As he bathed, Ichigo began to wonder about the date. What should he do? What would they talk about? What would Rukia be expecting? She had told him not to ruin it, but with so many variables, it was like tossing him into a minefield and expecting him to know where they all were.

'Quit it,' he thought, turning off the water, 'overthinking won't do you any good.'

With his head still buzzing with uncertainty, he returned to the kitchen to scavenge for breakfast. Yuzu, in her undead state, had already created a feast fit for a king, taken her share, and then plopped in front of the TV, her eyes dim and unseeing as she thoughtlessly munched on a slice of toast.

Rukia was up now as well, making another pot of coffee. She poured two cups and handed one to Ichigo.

"Here," she said, beaming up at him.

Their fingers touched for a moment, clasped around the coffee mug. Rukia looked away bashfully, tucking her hair behind her ear. Unless he was much mistaken, Ichigo wasn't the only one that was nervous.

"Morning," Ichigo said, "you're up pretty early."

The clock on the oven stated that the time was half past six. Normally, Ichigo and Rukia got up much later in the day.

"I couldn't sleep," Rukia pouted playfully, "my furnace up and disappeared on me. Speaking of which…"

She put her coffee to the side and wrapped her arms around Ichigo, pressing her face into his chest. He smelled like men's bodywash, and was so warm that Rukia could feel the chill in her bones recede.

"Get a room," interjected Karin, throwing a bitter look at the pair of them.

"What's got you all grouchy today?" Ichigo wondered, looking quizzically at his sister.

"No sleep. Poor diet and hydration. That dweeb in my class, Kaito, keeps asking me out. I just finished a seven page essay for my English class last night when they decided to cancel school for the foreseeable future, and to top it all off, I haven't had any word from dad in three days. Oh, and then there's you two, being all lovey dovey and weirding me out."

By the end of her spiel, Karin was pink in the face. Rukia gave the girl a grin, still nestled against Ichigo. This only served to flare Karin's temper, and for a moment, she was tempted to say something to Ichigo about how weird Rukia had been behaving. Instead, she sighed, grabbed a slice of toast, piled a plate high with eggs and hash browns, and left for her room, mumbling about stupid Ichigo and his stupid girlfriend.

"Great," he grumbled, "now I gotta apologize to Karin."

"Later," Rukia crooned, her voice muffled as she pressed it against Ichigo's chest, "I'm almost warm."

The day passed agonizingly slowly for Ichigo, who looked at the clock every few minutes, disgust etched on his face. He was no closer to figuring out what to do on the date. The only thing he could come up with was to try and get to know Rukia a little better. Even then, that was vague, and more than a little cliché. Would she pull away from Ichigo if he tried to learn more about her past? Or were they close enough that she wouldn't have a problem telling him everything?

He wound himself up so tightly that he almost didn't notice how Rukia stayed close to him all day. Whenever he went from one room to the other, Rukia followed suit. When he sat on the couch next to Yuzu and watched TV, Rukia joined them. She sat next to Ichigo, leaning against him and dozing off.

When Ichigo went to his room to play videogames, Rukia went with him. She laid on the bed next to him, pointing out specific characters, and making wisecracks. Ichigo didn't particularly mind. Rukia's commentary, while somewhat morbid, was a right sight better than her artwork.

"I wanna play this game," she insisted, pulling Ichigo's computer chair away from his desk and taking a seat on his lap.

The redhead blanched, unmoving as Rukia sat in his lap and mashed at the buttons of the keyboard. It wasn't long before she got 'GAME OVER' but that was the least of Ichigo's worries.

"Damn you, Zorg," she growled through gritted teeth, "rest assured, my retribution will be swift and painful!"

'I hope so,' Ichigo thought, sweat beading his brow as he peeked at the screen over Rukia's shoulder, trying his best to ignore the fact that she was sitting in his lap.

* * *

At six o'clock, Ichigo and Rukia put on their coats and left the house. Ordinarily, dates would be met somewhere else, giving both parties time to prepare. Rukia didn't seem to mind, though. She looped her arm through his as they took off down the street, looking completely carefree.

It was getting chilly now, and leaves had begun to fall from the trees. The sun had nearly set, and bathed everything in radiant orange light.

"So, where are you taking me?" Rukia wondered.

"There's this little restaurant not too far from here called the Taiyo To Tsuki Grill. I thought we could check it out, and I have the showing schedule for the theater, too, so we can pick out a movie while we eat."

"Well, aren't you prepared?" the petite woman asked slyly, "It's seems like you've finally started to practice some forethought. Maybe you've matured since we first met."

"Yeah," Ichigo smiled, "maybe."

They went inside the restaurant and stripped off their coats, unaware of the presence that had been stalking them for several blocks.

It kept its eyes fixed on them both through the glass front of the restaurant, never once losing its focus. The presence watched them get seated by a waiter, and peruse their menus. Rukia got up and pulled up a chair next to Ichigo, having him help her with the ordering, as she wasn't quite sure what some of the food was. The being outside kept its vigil, noting how Rukia's eyes seemed drawn to Ichigo, and how she took care to lean in close to him, and gently bump up against him as they looked through their options.

"Yuzu, what the hell are you doing?"

The presence froze, stock still. Yuzu had been hiding behind a mailbox, and peering over the top of it with a pair of cheap binoculars. She was dressed entirely in black, and almost looked as though she were scoping out the restaurant for a robbery. Her cheeks bore black streaks of face paint, like an athlete might wear.

And standing on the sidewalk, next to the stalker, was Karin, dressed quite plainly. She took no care to duck behind cover, and she looked at her little sister with concern for her mental wellbeing.

"Get down," Yuzu whispered, dragging her sister behind the mailbox.

"Yuzu, were you following Ichigo and Rukia?"

"So what if I… hold on, just what the hell are _you_ doing out here?" Yuzu asked suspiciously.

"Same thing as you," Karin noted, "except I'm not being nearly as conspicuous."

"But you did come out here to spy on them, didn't you?"

"No, I came to see if I couldn't make some sense out of what's going on," the older twin huffed, "I'm doing this for Ichigo… not because I'm some stalker pervert."

Yuzu pouted as tears came to her eyes, "I'll tell dad you said that!"

"Sheesh, I'm sorry, it was just a joke," Karin sighed.

A middle aged man walking his dog came around the corner. He spotted Yuzu and Karin, waving at them as he walked past. They recognized him as a patron of the clinic and raised their hands as he passed them by. When he was out of earshot, Yuzu put the binoculars to her eyes and took another peek.

"What's going on?" Karin asked.

"They're eating," Yuzu noted.

"And?"

"Well, Rukia is…." Yuzu's face went beet red, "She's feeding Ichigo! She's letting him eat off the fork she just used!"

"Two thousand yen says they both get the flu," giggled Karin, elbowing her sister in the ribs.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the restaurant, Ichigo couldn't believe how well the date was going. Rukia seemed insistent that she pull up a chair, and that Ichigo go over each and every item on the menu with her. He began to wonder if she was more interested in listening to her choices, or leaning in so close that their bodies bumped whenever either of them moved. She smiled and laughed so easily that it was a wonder Ichigo had never seen this side of her. Usually it was 'hollows' this, 'soul reaper' that, but tonight, she seemed content enough to leave it out of the conversation.

She smelled like perfume, which she'd never worn in Ichigo's presence before, and she'd even gone so far as to apply lipstick and eyeliner, which only accentuated her womanly features. She wore a form fitting grey turtleneck that fell to her thighs, and black leggings with her winter boots. Her hair had been neatly combed and smelled like some fruity conditioner or another.

Ichigo was so stunned by her appearance that half the time he wasn't sure he was saying his words right, but Rukia just laughed as if he'd told a hilarious joke. Her smile was illuminating, and seemed to fill Ichigo's heart the more he looked at it. Conversation flowed so easily between them, it was like nothing could go wrong.

"Oh, Ichigo," Rukia chuckled quietly, putting a hand to her face as she rested her elbow ion the table.

She stirred her water with a finger, her eyes roving the substitute soul reaper's face. His dark eyes and strong jaw clashed with his uproarious and unruly orange hair, but it only added to his charm, in Rukia's opinion. That, and his remarkably 'cool under pressure' attitude seemed to draw her to him, somehow, as if they were opposite poles of a magnet.

"You ok, Rukia?" Ichigo asked nervously, "you look a little lost in thought."

"It's nothing," Rukia smiled, glancing down at the table, "I'm just glad we got to see each other again."

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded in agreement, "me to."

Their food was brought out on large platters by a friendly waitress, who smiled and handed then their meals before bussing the next table.

"So, Rukia, how're things in the Soul Society?"

She nearly choked on her water, "Ichigo… you shouldn't speak so frankly in public."

"Relax, no one here knows what we're talking about. And even if anyone heard us, they wouldn't care."

Sweat beaded Rukia's brow as she looked around. The restaurant wasn't very crowded, but the few people there could no doubt hear everything Rukia and Ichigo were saying, if they chose to listen in.

"Trust me, no one cares," Ichigo said, "and even if someone hears us, they'll think we're talking in code. So tell me, how are the captains? Is there anything going on over there?"

The young man leaned forward, itching for some news. Rukia chewed her food thoughtfully, trying not to show any emotion as she picked her words.

"The captains… the ones that are left, are slowly but surely returning peace to the Seireitei," she mumbled quietly.

The redhead nodded. "I see."

Rukia pouted, crossing her arms as her eyebrow knit together. "Could we not talk about the Soul Society? I know that you want news, but it feels like a poor topic of conversation for a date."

Again, Ichigo nodded.

"You're right," he said, "sorry. I was just trying to get a feel for how things are going over there. I thought you might need someone to talk to."

A warm hand took Ichigo's, and Rukia gave him a kind smile. Her eyes watered, but she kept her voice quite steady.

"We can talk about that later," she promised, "for tonight, it's just you and me, ok? This is your one chance to show me how you feel about me… make it count."

The high schooler's eyes widened, and he felt his breath catch in his chest. Something in Rukia's eyes told him that her words meant far more than he could anticipate… but what could she possibly mean? And why did she sound so certain about it being their last date?

'There's no way in hell I'm gonna let things end,' Ichigo thought, 'I'll do whatever it takes. Rukia, I swear that if I'm not the one that's meant to be with you, I'll rip apart destiny itself to change that.'

He gently squeezed her hand. Her expression was one of borderline adoration, as if she were trying to commit every one of his features to memory. Her lips were parted slightly, and Ichigo saw her tongue part her lips as she wet them. Through her hand, Ichigo could feel that her heart was beating just as quickly as his, like a thundering drum in his chest.

"Alright then. For tonight, we'll pretend that we're just two normal humans on a date. Sound good?"

Rukia nodded, her eyes shining ever more brightly. She looked so excited at the prospect that Ichigo gave a small laugh.

"That sounds perfect," she sighed dreamily.

* * *

After finishing their dinner, they left the restaurant. Ichigo paid for the meal with money he'd managed to earn working for his boss, Ikumi Unagiya. His salary wasn't the greatest, but now that he actually had time to do the jobs his boss gave him, business was at an all-time high for her. It seemed that everyone wanted a piece of that Kurosaki boy, as it was said that he could work miracles with his hands, and no job was too small for him.

The couple made their way to the movie theatre, still debating about what kind of movie they wanted to see. Rukia was all for watching a historical drama, but Ichigo wanted something funny. In the end, they compromised on the latest superhero movie to come out of Hollywood.

Ichigo bought their tickets and snacks before they settled into the theater seats. They were unnervingly close together, and not very comfortable, but that particular showing was quite empty. Rukia lead the way towards the back of the theater, and patted the seat next to hers. Within moments, the movie had started, and Ichigo and Rukia watched it with interest.

Or, at least, Rukia did. Ichigo couldn't tear his eyes from Rukia. Every face she made, and every soft exclamation or sigh of defeat was far more thrilling than some actor. It was real, happening right next to him, and it put his entire life into perspective.

If things went well enough, Rukia might change her mind. Who knows, maybe if things went _really_ well, Ichigo could get another kiss from her.

The sound of rustling got his attention as Rukia shook the popcorn bowl under his nose. It was buttery and salty, but Ichigo shook his head. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, positively shaking. Visions of his life with Rukia played behind his eyes. One second they were married. The next they were under the covers. After that, he saw children with Rukia's raven hair and his own soft brown eyes. He saw himself and Rukia in a house, happy and in love.

The movie slowed down. Soft, sorrowful music filled the theater. The protagonist was sitting in a room after his defeat. The only person left at his side was the love interest, the only one who'd ever believed in him. The only person who'd always had his back…

Things grew tense, and love filled the air. Ichigo glanced at Rukia, whose eyes were glued to the screen. Her jaw hung agape. Again, she wet her lips, looking almost hungry as the protagonist and his love interest grew closer, their lips only inches away from a passionate kiss.

 _'_ _This is your one chance to show me how you feel about me,_ ' Rukia had told him, ' _make it count_.'

An odd idea came to Ichigo… what if he kissed Rukia? A part of him thought that might be what she had wanted. Her words would certainly make a lot more sense if that were the case… but what if he were wrong.

 _'_ _Make it count…'_

Rukia turned to look at Ichigo, immediately blushing when she saw him staring at her. There was conflict in his eyes, but also desire. He reached out and brushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She bit her lip. Their faces drew closer together, as if synced with the movie screen. No one else seemed to notice in the nearly empty theater.

Ichigo's hand came to a rest at the base of Rukia's skull as she placed one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek.

Time seemed to stop. The theater vanished, and suddenly it was just the two of them, alone in the dark, left with nothing but their deepest desires.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered, her breath hot on his face.

"Rukia," Ichigo muttered, tasting the flavor of her name.

He went left, taking Rukia by surprise. Their noses brushed, and their eyes closed as their lips finally came together. It lasted for one second. Two. Three. Ichigo felt around, running his fingers through Rukia's hair. She gave a light moan, and he felt her tongue brush over his lower lip.

Without warning, she pushed Ichigo away. He fell back into his seat, and quickly realized what it was that had ruined their kiss.

Somewhere in Karakura Town, a Senkaimon had just opened, and three incredibly powerful spiritual pressures had appeared. Even from that distance, it was easy to tell that they were powerful, even on par with a captain of the Gotei 13. However, Ichigo couldn't recognize any of the spiritual pressures. Not even one of them felt familiar.

Rukia went white in the face, trembling. Ichigo tried to hold her hands, which shook uncontrollably, but she yanked them away from him, looking around as if she were being watched.

"Who the hell is that? Why are they here?" Ichigo asked.

The female soul reaper gave no response. Instead, she got to her feet, grabbed her coat, and quickly marched down the aisle.

"C'mon," she hissed, "we have to go."

"Wait- hold on a sec- Rukia, what's-"

"I… I can't explain… I can't…."

Rukia clutched at her chest, looking as though she might've just been stabbed. Ichigo felt his pulse quicken. Why was she so panicked all of the sudden? What could've gotten into her?

"Hey, calm down for a sec," Ichigo said under his breath, catching her by the shoulder, "explain what's going on!"

She looked at Ichigo with tears in her eyes. She shook from head to toe as she silently wept in the middle of the theater.

"No time," she mumbled, "they're at your place, Ichigo. They're at the Kurosaki Clinic!"

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **And the plot thickens, like a fine... I dunno... Ravioli? Does ravioli thicken?**_

 _ **I got a real kick out of writing this chapter, so if you see errors, so ahead and mark it down as 'I was too lazy to read through this a third time.' We see a taste of things to come, and a bit IchiRuki... but why does the appearance of this Senkaimon seem to have such a profound effect on Rukia? What the hell is going on? I don't know. I just bang it out and post it here. I'm just as shocked as you guys, really.**_

 _ **But I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Stay tuned for more in an another ten frickin years! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**_

 _ **I sincerely appreciate the reviews I've gotten thus far. Here's some music to listen to.**_

 _ **Take Her Down- Reuben Young**_

 _ **Tribulation- Matt Maeson**_

 _ **all the kids are depressed- Jeremy Zucker**_

 _ **Wait Another Day- Mike Williams & Mesto**_

 _ **Horns- Bryce Fox**_

 _ **Dust- Lund ft Dre Kiken**_

 _ **I'm Not Your Angel- vaboh**_

 _ **Back 2 U- Steve Aoki (Unlke Pluto Remix)**_

 _ **I'll Keep You Safe- Sagun ft. Shiloh**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, everyone. Keep on that boss shit.**_

 _ **-Sigan**_


	6. All Is Not Fair in Love and War

As Ichigo and Rukia made their way out of the theater, moving as quickly as they could without drawing attention to themselves, the young man had to resist the urge to elbow people out of his way. His date with Rukia, which had been going so well up until that point, was effectively ruined. He was told he had one shot, and it seemed that it had been blown through no fault of his own.

They emerged onto the street, and briskly began walking in the direction they had come from. Rukia said nothing, keeping her arms folded firmly about her stomach, as though she were scared she might be sick.

All the while, Ichigo stole glances at the distraught soul reaper.

'Why won't she talk to me?' Ichigo wondered to himself, 'why won't she tell me what's wrong? Could it be she doesn't think I could handle it?'

That last thought put a twist in his gut. Somehow, it hurt him physically to think that she didn't have much faith in his abilities. After all they'd been through together, it seemed royally messed up that she would refuse to clue him in.

And as they made their way back to the clinic, the sinking feeling in the pit of Ichigo's gut worsened. Something told him that things were about to get worse. Much, much worse.

They arrived at the Kurosaki Clinic, keeping their eyes to the sky when Ichigo spotted it. The Senkaimon was still open, with white light pouring from the gate. Three silhouettes stood before it, their shihakushos billowing in the wind… but Ichigo didn't recognize any of them.

"They must be here for me," Ichigo muttered absently. "Why else would they come here, of all places?"

Rukia remained silent. She kept her eyes on the ground, fighting the chills that raked her body. More than ever, Ichigo wanted to wrap her in a hug and tell her things would be fine, but he knew she wouldn't let him, if the way she'd pulled away from him earlier was anything to go by.

"Alright, then. Looks like I've gotta get up there."

After utilizing his combat pass and dumping his body rather unceremoniously onto his bed, Ichigo leapt from his bedroom window and kicked off of thin air, shooting upward, towards the strangers. Rukia followed after him, still deathly silent as she made sure to keep her distance from Ichigo.

"Welcome to Karakura Town," Ichigo said, not sounding all that hospitable. "I'm substitute soul reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. Would you three mind identifying yourselves?"

Normally, the redhead wasn't a fan of standing on such procedures, but ever since he'd declared his loyalty to the Soul Society after the Fullbring Incident, he'd done his best to act a little more professional. Perhaps, through his own actions, he could bring some measure of respect to the meaningless title of 'substitute soul reaper'. If nothing else, Jushiro Ukitake would have wanted him to make the best impression he could.

"Greetings, Ichigo Kurosaki," spoke the man in the center of the trio, "I am honored to finally make your acquaintance. I have heard much about you."

The man had long black hair that fell to his shoulders, but his bangs were braided along his temples to keep the hair out of his face.. His brow was graced with a thin silver circlet, and his skin was fair. Though he appeared to be of slim build, he radiated spiritual pressure, and was no doubt a competent fighter. His robes, unlike those of the standard soul reaper, were navy blue. Over this, he wore a long white coat that resembled that of a captain, though it bore no identifying markings or numbers. His eyes were a light shade of blue that almost seemed to glow, and at his hip hung a fine sword that looked almost too pretty to be used for violence.

Though the man's smile was warm, his icy blue eyes were cold and calculating, as if he were determining how best to take Ichigo down in a fight.

Ichigo immediately disliked the man, but he said nothing of it. Raising an eyebrow, he replied, "Is that right? Well, I'm afraid I know nothing about you. Mind telling me what you're doing here? This _is_ my house you're floating over…"

"Of course. My name is Kenzou Kamisaigaiku, Viceroy to my esteemed uncle, Lord Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku. Together with my compatriots, we make up a task force dedicated to carrying out his will, and the will of the Kamisaigaiku family."

To the man's left was another man in a matching navy shihakusho. He also wore a stark, unmarked white captain's coat, with a large nodachi slung across his back. He stood a head taller than Ichigo, and looked to be least three times his weight in solid muscle. He had a bald head with a scar across his scalp, and permanent scowl, but he didn't look too interested in Ichigo. On the contrary, he looked quite bored.

To Kenzou's right stood another man. This one was about Ichigo's size, with the same slim build. He was obviously younger, and took no shame in showcasing it by keeping the sleeves of his shihakusho rolled up, exposing lean and muscled arms. He had an unruly crop of shaggy hair the color of straw, and eyes that were greener than a grassy meadow. A small, jagged scar ran from his ear down to his chin. Unlike his friends, the young blonde stood slouched, more interested in watching the people in the world of the living than he was in the conversation. A katana hung at his waist, with a circular tsuba in the shape of a serpent devouring its own tail… the Ouroboros.

"The name's Kazue," said the blonde man, "learn it."

Kenzou smiled before leaning over and flicking Kazue in the ear. The blonde man sucked in a breath, rubbing the sore spot.

"Manners." Kenzou muttered.

"My name Kenichi," grunted the large man on the left. "I am honored to be met by someone such as you."

He gave a very formal bow to Ichigo, almost as one would when sparring. Ichigo frowned but decided to let it slide. He could hardly account for all the weirdos in the Soul Society.

"Yeah, it's nice to meet ya," the high schooler said, "now could you guys please tell me what you're doing here? I have spiritually sensitive siblings who are probably freaking out right now."

"Apologies," Kenzou said, gently brushing his hair over his shoulder, "but my lord has tasked me to come here, to this address, to deliver a message."

"So… what is it?" Ichigo asked, balling his fists and putting them on his hips. He was about fed up of all the talking in circles. He was ready to draw his blade and beat some answers out of the emissaries when Rukia stepped by Ichigo.

"I'm here," Rukia said, looking resigned to defeat, "what is the message from Lord Hideyoshi?"

Kenzou pulled a scroll from within his sleeve. Unfurling it, he cleared his throat and began to read aloud.

"To my dearest Rukia, I pray your time away from the Seireitei is to your liking, and I hope it helps in your transition from a member of the Gotei 13. Your beauty and grace are shining beacons that I loathe to be without. I am glad that when you return, you will return to me. I anxiously await you, and look forward to the pleasure of your company. Writ this day, in the name of his majesty Lord Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku, on the third of October."

He carefully rolled up the scroll and tucked it safely away in his sleeve. Ichigo stood there, stunned and confused. His eyes bored into the back of Rukia's head, but she did not turn to face him.

"R-Rukia? What the hell was that?" he asked.

"You would dare to speak of his lordship's kindred words-" Kazue began, reaching for his sword.

Kenzou stopped him, gripping the young man's wrist as he glared at Ichigo.

"Miss Kuchiki… your friend seems… unaware of the situation. Am I correct in presuming you have not told him, yet?" he asked carefully.

Rukia nodded and said miserably, "I haven't had the chance."

"Tell me what, Rukia?!"

Ichigo wanted to spin her around, and force her to meet his eye. He wanted to understand what all this was about, and why some bigshot was sending Rukia love letters!

"Miss Rukia Kuchiki is betrothed to the Lord of the Kamisaigaiku clan," Kenzou noted dryly, "after this week's reprieve, she will no longer be acting as a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. She will become a lady in waiting for my master, and marry him soon thereafter."

Rukia slowly turned, glancing at Ichigo over her shoulder. His eyes were wide with disbelief. His mouth hung agape, and he looked as though his soul had just been pulled from his body. His breathing was ragged and hoarse.

"Rukia," he whispered to himself.

'Ichigo,' she thought sadly, blinking away tears as she turned her attention back to the nobles in front of her.

* * *

Ichigo sat on his bed. After hearing that Rukia was betrothed to some uppity noble, he had promptly excused himself from the conversation. He didn't trust himself not to lash out, verbally or physically. Those guys looked strong enough to take a punch, and Ichigo was scared that if he didn't act on his feelings, his hollow would do it for him.

He could feel it in his subconscious. The door to that part of his mind was usually locked tight, but the more he thought about Rukia, and her engagement, the more the door eroded and decayed. And from the other side someone, or something, pounded on the door furiously, seeking release.

Ichigo shook, feeling an icy chill in his bones. The look in Rukia's eye when she had turned to look at him was so sad, so heartbreaking, that he had very nearly forgotten about their kiss… or perhaps he only wished he could forget it.

It had seemed so sweet, in that glorious instance. He could still taste her lips, and his heart still remembered the feeling from before his world had been turned on its head. He wanted to go back, and undue the last half hour, but he couldn't.

A bitter chill blew in from his open window, and he heard two soft footsteps as someone came to land on the sill.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked.

He said nothing. He wasn't sure what he could say. He licked his lips, still thinking about their kiss, but his mind felt numb, and sluggish. All of his senses seemed to have been stalled as he fell headlong into despair.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ichigo asked, ignoring Rukia. "Why the fuck wouldn't you tell me that you were betrothed? Why would you lie and tell me you care about me? How could you you lead me on like that?!"

By the end of his questions, he was shouting, tears flowing down his face. He rocked backward and forward, feeling his gut twist itself into knots. Nothing seemed real anymore. How could it, when all that he'd held dear was shattered in an instant?

"I tried to tell you, Ichigo-"

"NOT HARD ENOUGH! But I'm not even angry you didn't tell me. Hell, that isn't even the issue…" Ichigo stood from the bed, turning to face Rukia. His eyes were bloodshot and tear-filled, and perhaps it was a trick of the light, but for a moment, his irises glowed like molten gold. "Why did you say that you loved me? Why did you agree to go on a date? Why didn't you just…."

His anger washed over him like a tidal wave. His blue reiatsu appeared, like blue flames flickering over his body. Without thinking, Ichigo howled, grabbing his desk chair and hurling it across the room. It shattered into splinters, knocking pictures from his wall and leaving a hole in the plaster. He panted, swallowing the pain and anger as deep as he could as his eyes flared again, like miniature suns. Inky blackness slowly seeped from the corners of his eyes as he held his head.

"Ichigo, stop it!" Rukia stated, stepping inside and closing the window.

She put on her gigai, standing face to face with Ichigo, who looked absolutely devastated. The sound of someone racing up the stairs could be heard, and a knock at his door made him turn. Yuzu flung open the door, standing there with Karin. They both appeared out of breath.

"Thought we heard yelling, and a crash," Yuzu said, looking at the damage Ichigo had caused.

"Get out," he murmured, not looking at his sisters.

Karin felt lightning arc across her spine. Ichigo had been crying… he still was. Rukia looked as though she were about to cry, too. What was going on?

"Ichigo-"

"I said GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Ichigo roared, slamming the door shut on his sisters.

"Don't take this out on them, you're angry at me!" Rukia shouted.

"You're goddamn right I am!" Ichigo hollered back. "How could you do this to me?! Even if you don't really love me, we're supposed to be friends!"

"I never lied to you," Rukia said loudly, "I really do love you, Ichigo!"

"THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU MARRYING HIM?! WHY WOULD YOU GET MY HOPES UP IF YOU HAD NO INTENTIONS OF FOLLOWING THROUGH?!"

"I THOUGHT IT WOULD HELP!" she shouted back, tears streaming from her eyes like waterfalls. "I THOUGHT THAT IF YOU HAD YOUR FUN, WE'D STILL BE ABLE TO PART WAYS AMICABLY!"

Ichigo balled his fists, feeling his anger reach new heights. He'd never yelled at someone quite like this. He was sure that his sisters could hear every word that was said through the door, but he didn't care. Just looking at Rukia's face seemed to cause him great discomfort, like a dagger twisting in his stomach.

"I WASN'T LOOKING FOR FUN, RUKIA! I WAS READY TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH YOU! I…"

Ichigo faltered. As quickly as his rage had climaxed, all the fight rushed out of him. He felt the world go wobbly as he took a hard seat on the floor at Rukia's feet. He held his head, which throbbed painfully.

"I really thought we had a shot at… something," Ichigo said, sounding more like he was speaking to himself than to Rukia. "I honestly believed we could make things work. I thought for sure that there was something there… that I wasn't just grasping at straws…."

"Listen to me, Ichigo," Rukia knelt in front of him, "I love you. You mean more to me than I can say. It was never my intention to cause you so much pain, but I have responsibilities that need to be upheld. Do you understand me? Ichigo?"

"Rukia, why?" Ichigo asked. "Why are you marrying him?"

She sniffled, stuffing her hands between her thighs. Every single fiber of her being wanted to comfort Ichigo, but he looked unhinged. If she tried to console him, it would only escalate things, and his reiatsu was growing stronger by the moment, as if his hollow were very nearly free.

"Who am I, Ichigo?"

The question caught him off guard. Ichigo was pulled from his internal pity party as he met Rukia's eyes, which were quite stern. She looked as though she were going to lecture him, but he had no interest in her games.

"You're Rukia."

"Exactly. That's how you know me. You know me as Rukia, your friend. To the Seireitei, I am a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. To the Kuchiki family, I am an adopted relative, with full blooded privileges. You're looking at me through a rose colored lens, Ichigo, but there is another side to me that you have completely neglected… so don't say that you really love me if you refuse to understand my obligations. I owe the Kuchiki family a debt that can never be repaid. They took me in out of the goodness of their hearts, and it would dishonor them and their kindness if I did not do everything in my power to comply with their wishes. Do I make myself clear?"

"None of that matters to me," Ichigo muttered coldly. "I've never put much stock in those traditions… if you did everything that's ever been asked of you by the Soul Society, you'd have been executed!"

"Dammit all, Ichigo! Why can't you accept this?!" Rukia was suddenly on her feet.

"Because I can see it in your eyes! This isn't what you want!" Ichigo snapped, standing up as well.

"What I want doesn't matter! How I feel about you is immaterial! Stop being so damned childish!"

She turned on her heel and made for the door, opening it to reveal Karin and Yuzu's pale faces. Ichigo caught Rukia's wrist, holding it gently but firmly. He didn't know why, but he got the distinct feeling that letting her leave his room was a mistake.

"We're not finished," Ichigo growled.

"I've said all I have to say," Rukia replied icily.

Ichigo scowled, keeping his grip on her wrist firm as she tried to pull away.

"Let go of me, Ichigo."

"But… Rukia-"

"I said LET GO!"

She whipped about, her cheeks red, anger etched in every fiber of her being. With a resounding CRACK, she slapped Ichigo across the face, sending him stumbling back and landing on the bed. Rukia flexed her hand, swearing under her breath as pins and needles worked their way from the tips of her fingers all the way up to her elbow. Ichigo felt his cheek gingerly, which was red and swollen. The tangy metallic taste of blood was heavy as he inspected the inside of his cheek with his tongue.

He looked at Rukia, only to find that her rage was gone. She covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stifle her sobbing, but it was no use. Her tears had returned, and she sobbed quietly to herself as she quickly turned about and fled the room. After a moment, Yuzu followed after her. From the living room, Ichigo could hear Rukia, crying loudly, and no doubt stuffing her face into a pillow. Karin stared at her brother, who fell back into his bed, so tired from the last few minutes that he felt he could just curl up and fall asleep then and there.

* * *

Of course, that wasn't the case. Ichigo couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried. He found that his face was throbbing too painfully, keeping him awake. Every so often, he heard Rukia in the living room, still crying. Yuzu and Karin had spoken to Rukia, but had gone to bed shortly thereafter. Ichigo had closed his door, giving no response when someone lightly knocked on it.

The night passed slowly for Ichigo, and he felt as though his heart might just give out from strain. Rukia's bitter words about his love not being genuine cut him deeply. He heard the sound of a car's engine pull up in front of the house, and a minute later, the front door opened.

"I'm home," called a deep voice, "anyone alive out there?"

It was Isshin Kurosaki. The entire house was dark. No one was awake, which was odd. Normally, everyone was up pretty late. Isshin didn't mind, though. So long as his kids got good grades, they were free to do as they pleased.

Ichigo listened to his father fumble through the house. He turned over, feigning sleep as the hours ticked by, and he slowly dozed off.

* * *

He dreamt he was falling… or was he flying? It was hard to tell. In any case, he was floating, with absolutely no way of changing course. There was nothing to grab onto, and he only had one free hand. The other was holding onto Rukia, who looked beautiful and petrified all at once.

"I won't let go of you," Ichigo told her.

"You have to," she insisted.

"No, Rukia! We'll make it out of this! I promise!"

He tried to look through the inky darkness surrounding them, but he saw nothing. Gusts of wind tore at them from every direction.

"You have to let me go! You can't hold onto me anymore! Let go of me, Ichigo!"

But no matter how tightly he tried to hold her hand, she became harder and harder to keep hold of. Soon, they were only connected by the very tips of their fingers.

"NO!" he shouted.

Their connection broke, and Rukia spiraled off into the darkness.

"Rukia! Come back! Please! No, Rukia! RUKIAAAA!"

* * *

Ichigo found himself being shaken awake, still reeling from his nightmares. A shadow towered over him. The darkness of night was still absolute outside his window as Ichigo frowned up at the familiar sight of his father.

"Long time no see, dumbass."

"Dad," Ichigo muttered tiredly, falling back against his pillows.

"Long story short, I hear that you've been keeping things lively around here while I was gone. Your sisters both seem to think you've gone off the deep end. Care to explain?"

He took a seat on Ichigo's bed. Far from looking upset, Isshin Kurosaki looked bemused, as if the whole thing were a bad joke that had gotten out of hand.

"Not really," Ichigo said, "it's good to have you back. Karin was trying to get a hold of you there, for a while."

"Yeah, that was my fault. Getting to the conference was a breeze. Getting back here was difficult. First my plane was stalled by weather, and I got put up in a fancy hotel for the night… but that's not important. What the hell is happening between you and Rukia? From the sound of it, you two are-"

"There's nothing. I thought there was, but she's getting married to some noble from the Seireitei."

Isshin scratched his chin thoughtfully, and muttered to himself, "Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku…"

"You know him?"

"Heard of him. Leads one of the four noble families of the Soul Society. Apparently, his job description, and much of what his clan does is top secret. Why he's suddenly out and about in public is… beyond me."

Ichigo met his father's eye. The guy looked seriously tired, as if he hadn't slept in days. If he had to guess, it hadn't all been canceled flights and luxurious four star hotels. He'd probably ridden the bus at all hours of the night, slowly but surely winding his way home. It also explained why they hadn't been able to contact him. His phone had probably died and he hadn't had the chance to charge it.

"So, Yuzu and Karin said that you went on a date with Rukia… and when the two of you got back, you were both yelling and screaming… is that a hole in your wall?!"

Isshin Kurosaki leapt from the bed and carefully inspected the drywall. He tapped the shattered plaster with a finger, rubbing it around between his fingers before tasting it.

"Why the hell would you throw a chair at the wall?!" he asked incredulously.

"How the hell did you know I threw a chair at the wall just by eating plaster?"

"I can taste it," Isshin waved a hand impatiently. "And I don't give a damn about your relationships! No more holes in the wall, idiot!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Huh, that's odd. I figured you'd have some big spiel for me, like 'you two can't be together, you're too different.'"

"Seriously?" Isshin raised an eyebrow. "Ichigo, I gave up being a soul reaper and ended up living here in the world of the living because I fell in love with your mom. I'm the last person who'll tell you not to go for it."

"Right, I forgot that you don't really care what we do as long as we get good marks."

"As true as that may be, you're paying for the repairs to that wall… but I suppose that it's time you and I had a real talk, isn't it?"

The older man sat on the bed once more, looking deadly serious. Ichigo waited, but no words were forthcoming. Just before he could ask his father to get out of his room, Isshin launched into an explanation.

"When a man and a woman love each other very much-"

"Shut the hell up," Ichigo snarled, driving his knee into his father's back as he forced him off the bed, "if you wanna talk the birds and the bees, go bother Yuzu and Karin."

"Well, at least I know you're listening… and that cuts out several minutes of explanation. Listen carefully, Ichigo. I have some things to tell you. Things that have been told to every young man of the Shiba bloodline." Isshin stood from the floor, brushing himself off.

"Shiba… now hold on just a second, what are you talking about?!"

"Before I was Isshin Kurosaki, I was Isshin Shiba… Captain of Squad Ten. Shiba was once a noble house in its own right, you know… back before we lost all of our prestige."

"Yeah- dad, listen, that's great but… you mean that… I'm related… to GANJU?!"

"Hahaha! Well, actually, yeah. Distantly, if at all. Different branches of the same tree, I guess you could say. In any case, I have some words of wisdom for you… four pieces of tried and true advice, passed down from father to son for generations… usually, after their very first heartbreak."

Ichigo's eye twitched. A part of him thought his father was just pulling his leg… but he looked dead serious. There was a strange look in his eye, like he knew exactly how Ichigo was feeling.

"My heart is fine," the high schooler scowled, "I went for a run just this morning."

"You can make whatever excuses you like… I won't stop you. I myself made a ton when my dad had this talk with me. The older I got, though, the more I realized his words rang true… I only wish I could've thanked him for his wisdom before he died."

His eyes were distant for a moment before they refocused on Ichigo. The young man frowned, crossing him arms. Why was his dad being so weird?

"My first piece of good, general advice is this," Isshin said, "there are plenty of fish in the sea."

For a moment, Ichigo felt fire in his chest as he shot a glare at his father. The tired man watched him carefully, still looking as if he knew exactly what Ichigo was going through.

"You almost told me to go fuck myself, didn't you?"

"…I thought about it."

"It's alright, Ichigo. Like I said, I felt the same thing. Maybe we all do, our first time hearing this. But that's why we do it this way… when the wounds are still fresh. Because when he hit our lowest point, we're open to the greatest changes."

"Just gimme the next piece of wisdom," Ichigo sighed.

"My second piece of advice is this… people must love themselves before they love you."

"How the hell is that even applicable?"

"No clue… remember, this advice is set in stone, but over the years, I've found that sooner or later, it all becomes applicable. Maybe this one isn't so much about Rukia as it is about you. The point is, people that aren't ready to love won't do it on command."

"Ok."

"Now, this third piece of advice is something you've actually figured out on your own," Isshin smirked proudly. "If you try hard enough, you can make it happen."

The redhead blinked. "Make what happen?"

"Aw, come on, Ichigo! You're telling me you don't get it?! That's ridiculous! You of all people should be able to tell me the importance of perseverance and follow through! Every fight you've been in has been a hopeless situation, until you turned it around. With enough willpower, you can do anything. Don't give up."

"And what's the next piece of advice?"

"I just told you. Never give up! No matter what, you can let being hurt or scared stop you from finding someone who cares about you. And if you think you truly love someone… never give up on them. Sometimes, all they need is someone who's willing to fight for them."

The high schooler could barely understand what his father was telling him. Was he supposed to pursue Rukia anyway? Was she just not ready to love? None of what he'd heard just now made any sense, and it only added to his headache.

"That's all the advice I have for now. Do with it what you will," summated Isshin.

"Well, thanks, I guess," Ichigo said. "If there's nothing else, I'd like to try and get some sleep."

"Same here. And no matter what happens, Ichigo, I want you to remember that your sisters and I all care about you and want you to be happy. So try not to be such an asshole to us, ok?"

Isshin gave Ichigo a wry smile before standing up and walking out of the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He'd been given so much to think about it wasn't even funny. His face still hurt, but somehow he found he wasn't angry at Rukia. She'd just watched him throw a chair through his wall… it would be stupid for her not to be scared when he'd grabbed her.

And to think that just a few short hours ago, they had been kissing passionately in that movie theater….

'I'll apologize when I wake up,' Ichigo decided, 'I'll fall on my knees and beg her to forgive me. I'll do my best to convince her not to go through with this.'

Ichigo knew it was likely no use. He knew it would only make him look weak, but he didn't care. He couldn't afford to lose Rukia's friendship, and he refused to watch her go through with something she didn't want to do.

* * *

When Ichigo woke up in the morning, he went down to the living room. The couch Rukia had slept on before sharing a bed with Ichigo was empty. The only thing left was a note, scrawled in kanji so carefully formed that whoever wrote it must have put a lot of thought into the words.

 _To my dearest friend, Ichigo,_

 _I understand that what I did was unforgivable. Looking back on it, it might have been better if we'd never gotten involved as we did. It would have spared us the heart ache we both feel after last night, and I feel horrible knowing that I hurt you. You've been a steadfast and loyal friend, and it pains me to leave on such a sour note, but I can't stay here with you._

 _I'll always love you. No matter what happens, know that. If you can't find it in your heart to forgive me, I understand, but please don't hate me. I'll look back on our time together with fondness, and I don't regret any of the good times we shared._

 _So long, Ichigo. I wish you the best of luck in life._

 _Until our paths next cross…_

 _-Rukia_

Ichigo looked at the note, barely comprehending the letter. He stared at the script, unseeing as he imagined Rukia's soft words in his head. He was so very saddened, and so tired. It was as though Rukia had crept into his room in the middle of the night, and stolen his heart from his chest.

 _'_ _I'll always love you….'_

Ichigo gripped the note, tempted to tear it up into pieces. He was ready to shatter his combat pass, and throw its remains in the garbage.

 _"_ _Never give up… if you think you truly love someone, never give up on them…"_

Ichigo swallowed past the heartache that had risen to his throat, folding up the note carefully and putting it in his pocket.

"Looks like I gotta pay Urahara a visit," he muttered absently.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Again, shit gets heavy. Not gonna lie, writing these scene was challenging. I'm not the greatest when it comes to arguments, but I tried to keep it as realistic as possible. And I'm still not sure I like the plot for this story, so this may need a rewrite. In any case, I'll probably just follow it for now and see where it takes me. Also, if you see spelling/grammar mistakes in this chapter, you're a liar. I read through this like four times (and I only cried three times)**_

 _ **After all, who wouldn't cry? I had these guys on cloud 9 and then BANG! Hell in a handbasket!**_

 _ **Here's some sad music to listen to, because it's a sad chapter.**_

 _ **I'm Not Coming Home-Brennan Savage**_

 _ **Demons-Jacob Lee**_

 _ **broken hearts club-gnash**_

 _ **i don't wanna know her-timmies ft Shiloh**_

 _ **loosing interest-timmies ft. Shiloh**_

 _ **i never thought you'd be my enemy-vaboh**_

 _ **again-timmies ft. Shiloh**_

 _ **if i could i would feel nothing-blackbear**_

 _ **4u-blackbear (Renzyx remix)**_

 _ **Die Trying-Michl**_

 _ **Drowning-Eden**_

 _ **Forever Over-Eden**_

 _ **Goddamn, so many sad songs. I better slow down.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading. FYI. this story ain't done yet. Not by a longshot.**_


	7. Broken Trust, Lost Love, and Bared Blade

_**Authors Notes:**_

 _ **Figured I'd keep it fresh and put the author's notes before the story for a change, but my primary intention is to put in a few notes I've forgotten.**_

 _ **First and foremost, I wanted to address my use of Japanese in the story, as I may have accidentally been misusing the word '**_ _ **reiatsu'. On the Bleach Wiki, this is described as 'the pressure a person's reiryoku (or spirit energy) emits. Not being a natural speaker of Japanese (and having only read the manga from where the anime left off) I assume it's a simple mistake to make. I'll try to list all the terms I use so that it doesn't detract from the experience of reading, though I would hope anyone would be familiar enough with some these terms already.**_

 _ **reiatsu = a person's spirit pressure**_

 _ **reiryoku = a person's spirit energy as a whole**_

 _ **zanpakuto = soul cutter, a shinigami's blade (c'mon, guys, you know what a zanpakuto is)**_

 _ **shinigami = soul reaper (literally means death god)**_

 _ **Seireitei = Soul Society (again, c'mon, guys)**_

 _ **For those of you that already knew what all of these meant, I apologize.**_

 _ **Also, I wanted to include a little analysis of three characters from the last chapter I hope to flesh out more as the story unfolds. You guys remember Kazue, Kenzou, and Kenichi? Well, I took their names from a website I found with Japanese names and their meanings (cause I suck at coming up with Japanese names) and tried to keep them in line with the whole 'K' theme of the Kamisaigaiku clan.**_

 _ **Kenichi - healthy, strong**_

 _ **Kazue- harmony/peace (I thought this one was sort of ironic, considering he come across as a total douche)**_

 _ **Kenzou- masculine, also 'brilliant kimono design' (hence the snappy attire)**_

 _ **Kamisaigaiku- loosely translated using Google, it's supposed to mean God, Disaster, Ward, which sort of fits my idea of what the clan's job is... but more on that later.**_

 _ **This chapter is chalk full of drama, and I'm still not sure I like it. Also, I only read through it once, so expect spelling and grammar errors until I have more time to comb through it.**_

 _ ***Music***_

 _ **Moonlight- XXXTentacion**_

 _ **Unconditional- Matt Maeson**_

 ** _To prevent long lists of songs that have nothing to do with the story, I'll try to keep it limited to a few that are somewhat relatable to the content in the chapter. Thanks for reading!_**

* * *

As school was closed indefinitely, Ichigo had all day to relax and try his best to forget about Rukia.

That said, he failed quite miserably.

It wasn't even a whole two hours after finding her note that he threw down the controller to his video game console in disgust. He'd tried to read a book, or watch TV. He'd tried to play video games. He had even apologized to Yuzu, who had been fastidiously ignoring him all morning. Karin, strangely, was nowhere to be found.

He showered and threw on his casual clothes and a sweater before heading out. The sun was bright, and it was much warmer out that it had been the day before, but the ice in Ichigo's heart would not melt. He had reread Rukia's note countless times (though he had been trying not to think of her) and with each reading, he felt himself pulled towards her, as if she were beckoning him to the Seireitei. He had no clue as to what he might say to her to convince her not to go through with her engagement, but he didn't care. The only thing he knew was that he needed to talk to her again.

Kisuke's shop was a rather drab affair, situated between much larger concrete structures with more imposing appearances. Compared to them, the small, antiquated store looked a little sad. Ichigo made his way across the lot that made up much of the property, his footsteps crunching through the leaves and frosty grass.

When he knocked on the door, there was no answer.

"Kisuke? You home?"

There was no reply. Ichigo frowned. Where was everyone? Surely Ururu, Jinta, or Tessai were around? He was about to open the door when it slid open of its own accord, revealing a rather guant faced Kisuke Urahara.

"'ello? Ichigo? What brings you here?"

Kisuke opened the door all the way, stepping outside and closing the door behind him, which seemed odd to the high schooler.

"Long story," Ichigo said, "but I need you to open the Senkaimon for me. I have business in the Seireitei."

"Hmm, yeah, business in the Seireitei? You don't say…" Kisuke pulled out his fan, using it to cool himself as he feigned innocence.

"Why are you repeating what I just said? And could you let me in? This is sort of urgent."

Ichgo made to reach around the blonde man to slide the door open when he moved, blocking Ichigo's entry.

Covering his face with his fan, Kisuke said, "Sorry, Ichigo. Can't let you do that."

Ichigo grit his teeth in frustration. Without meaning to, his reiatsu exploded, suffusing Ichigo's body in an aura of azure power. He steadied his nerves, breathing heavily through his nose, and his reiatsu slowly dimmed and faded, leaving Urahara looking concerned.

"Sorry," Ichigo said, "things have been kinda intense. Which is why I need you to open that Senkaimon, as soon as possible."

"I'm sorry, Ichigo, but like I said: I just can't do that. You see, I know why you want to go to the Soul Society, and a very generous sponsor has just bribed me to deny you access to my Senkaimon."

The shopkeeper blushed, fanning himself once more, as if he were a beautiful women selling himself to the highest bidder. Ichigo staggered, flabbergasted by the revelation.

"What? Someone is paying you? Who the hell would be stupid enough to get in my way? And why on earth are you helping them?!"

"Because it's the right thing to do," said another voice.

The sliding door was flung open, and standing inside the shop, her arms full of anti-spirit paraphernalia, was Karin. Again, she looked as if she hadn't slept, but her eyes were bright, and filled with poorly contained ire. She stared daggers at Ichigo, who clenched his hands.

"You bribed Urahara to keep me out of the Soul Society?! What the hell, Karin?!"

She glared at Ichigo. "Not only that, but I paid him to tell me all about your time in the Soul Society. I know about how you saved Rukia from execution, and how you fought off super powered hollows called Arrancars. He even told me about how you beat Aizen and lost your powers, only to get them back and fight in a goddamn war!"

"Kisuke! Why did you tell her about all that?" Ichigo asked loudly, gripping the man by his collar.

"Because I paid him too! I gave him every last yen I had, and it's a good thing I did! I knew something was wrong with you, but a war?! Arrancars?! What the fuck, Ichigo?! And now you've fallen in love with a soul reaper- not even a _human_ \- who's engaged to be married! Where does it end?! Are you just going to move to the Seireitei and become a shinigami?! What about us, Ichigo?! What about me, and Yuzu, and dad?!"

Karin stepped in front of Ichigo, pushing him away from Kisuke and forcing him to meet her eye. The redhead looked unnerved at how strong she was. Karin knew everything now, and she looked as though she might have heard a bit too much. A part of Ichigo wanted to hit Urahara for telling his sister what he had done, but he couldn't. It wasn't his fault. The only person Ichigo could blame was himself.

"I'm not leaving to live in the Soul Society," he said, staring into his sister's angry eyes, "I just need to talk to Rukia."

"What for? She's gone, Ichigo! Accept it! She's going to get married and forget all about you! From what Kisuke says, soul reapers can live almost indefinitely, unless they fall in combat! You'll be dead and gone, and she'll forget all about you! Meanwhile, you'll have wasted your entire life looking for happiness when you didn't realize you had it waiting for you at home all along!"

Karin's eyes began to water. She looked like she wanted to drop her bags and punch Ichigo. He definitely wouldn't have blamed her, but at the same time he couldn't help but hate his sister. The things she said to him were like sandpaper on his ears, and made his gut clench painfully.

"Everything I did, I did you protect the people I care about," Ichigo said quietly. "That includes, you, dad, and Yuzu. Don't get it twisted. And as far as my relationships go… stay outta my business."

Karin's chin shook as she stifled her emotions, pushing them down as deep as they could go. Before her tears fell, she turned away from Ichigo.

"I'm not sure who you are," she muttered, "but you aren't the brother I used to know."

"People change," Ichigo replied softly, "it's a part of growing up. You should try it, sometime."

Karin sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve before stomping away, leaving Ichigo alone with Urahara.

"Now then, seeing as my sister is gone, I want you to open that Senkaimon."

"No can do," Kisuke said, "I was paid a hefty sum to keep it closed to you. I don't intend to go back on my word."

"Think carefully," hissed Ichigo, "you owe me a whole lot, and there isn't anything keeping me from marching into your shop and opening it myself, is there?"

"So now you're threatening me with violence? Geez, Ichigo, you sure are grumpy these days, aren't you? Tell you what, come back in a week, take some time to clear your head and sort through your feelings. After that, come back here and ask me again, a little more nicely this time, and we'll see if we can't drum up a Senkaimon for you."

It was clear that it would do no good to argue. Ichigo had had quite enough of that over the last two days. He thought about his dad's advice from the night before. None of it seemed relevant to this situation, but he knew he was acting like an ass, and that Karin, in her own annoying way, was just trying to look out for him. There was no denying it; he definitely needed time to think.

"Fine," he heaved a sigh. "I'll be back in a week… take care, Kisuke."

The redhead turned and trudged away as Urahara straightened his robe and waved cheerfully.

"See ya, Ichigo! Say hi to your dad for me!"

* * *

Ichigo didn't often get to wander the streets of Karakura Town during the week. He was surprised at how empty it was, and how little foot traffic there seemed to be as he kicked around downtown. The only thing he knew for certain was that he couldn't go home. Karin was furious with him, so he would no doubt end up confining himself to his room, where he would lay in his bed and smell Rukia in his sheets.

There she was again. No matter what Ichigo happened to be thinking about, it was a sure bet that the petite soul reaper would crop up sooner or later.

'Give it a week,' he thought to himself, 'take some time to clear your head. Figure out what you'll say to her.'

As he walked, he looked in the windows of small shops, not really looking at any of their wares. Instead, he imagined meeting Rukia face to face. He could almost see her pained expression in his mind, and he tried to come up with something persuasive to tell her to make her see reason. Unfortunately, he could only think of saying 'I'm sorry' which did absolutely nothing to explain how much she meant to him.

"Ichigo!" called an airy voice, distracting him from his sorrow.

The substitute soul reaper turned about, seeing Orihime hurrying after him. Her arms were loaded with groceries. Her long hair fell in luscious curls to her waist, and her ever present hair clip fastened her bangs to the side. She wore faded jeans with stylish winter boots and a light sweater. Even in the bright sunlight, Ichigo had to admit that she was a sight to behold. It was no wonder every guy in their class- no, in the whole _school_ \- wanted to get with Orihime. Over the last few years, she had grown into a fine young woman.

"Oh, hey Orihime. What's up?"

"I was just out doing my grocery shopping," she said, panting slightly.

"I see."

Ichigo paused for a moment. He was at a loss for words. Not because of Orhime's beauty, but because he found that there was just nothing for him to say. He shook himself mentally, frustrated with how numb and irritable Rukia's absence had made him.

"Those look kinda heavy, let me carry them for you," he said suddenly, taking Orihime's load from her.

"Oh, thanks, Ichigo. You're the best."

"I know a few people who would probably disagree with you on that point," Ichigo laughed dryly, "c'mon. I'll walk you home."

As the two of them made their way to Orihime's apartment, Ichigo listened to her talk about her job in the bakery. Orihime, as it turned out, was a natural baker.

"The trick is finding something to do that won't pull me away from the stove, otherwise I get distracted and burn the goods," she blabbed happily, "that's why I'm so good at Yoga now! Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I've been doing yoga! Well, not all the time. Just when I bake. That way I don't accidentally burn anything. And of course, I can't do yoga at work, I'd get fired! Hahahahaaa!"

"Heh," Ichigo barely managed a chuckle. Orihime frowned at him, looking concerned.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you feeling ok? You look sort of… dead inside."

"D-dead inside?" Ichigo asked, taken aback by the woman's morbid words.

"Yeah," Orihime said, narrowing her eyes, "I don't know how else to describe it. I felt that way myself, after my brother died. It was like I was dead inside… the look on your face just now, it reminded me of that for some reason."

"I'm not dead inside," Ichigo scoffed, hiding his feelings behind a cocky persona, "I'm just preoccupied! Unlike you, I haven't found my true calling. I can't keep doing part-time contract work for my crazy boss, either."

"Baking isn't my true calling," Orihime grinned, "I'm just really good at it. In any case, I think it's best not to worry too much, ok Ichigo?"

She gave his arm a light squeeze, and Ichigo flinched from the contact. It sent arcs of strange energy through his nerves, and he nodded dumbly, not trusting himself to speak.

* * *

They arrived at Orihime's apartment, and Ichigo had his first good look at the place in a long while. Everything was neat and organized, which was a sharp contrast to the redheaded woman's ditzy personality. All in all, it looked just as it always had. It was nice to see that one thing hadn't changed over the years.

"Could you set those on the counter for me?" she asked, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, sure thing."

Ichigo set the bags on the counter, feeling slightly out of place. The entire apartment smelled like Orihime's perfume, which was a little too sweet for his liking, though not entirely unpleasant. When he looked to Orihime, he found that her eyes were fixated upon him, but she caught herself staring and adjusted her slack-jawed expression.

"Here," she said, "I got you some water… are you hungry?"

"Hmm? Oh, thanks. Uh, no I'm not really hungry."

As Ichigo drank, Orihime watched him, a small smile on her face. There was a strange look in her eyes that made him uneasy.

"What's with that look?" inquired Ichigo.

She shook her head. "It's nothing. I just think it's nice of you to bring my bags home for me. You've always been such a sweetheart."

Again, Orihime touched Ichigo, laying a gentle hand on his forearm before letting it fall. Ichigo felt paralyzed, stunned by her touch. It had only lasted a moment… so why had it had such a profound effect on him?

In all their time together, Ichigo had come to know Orihime as a loyal and trustworthy friend. She was always at his side, even when he'd gone up against Yhwach himself. But now they were alone, in a dimly lit apartment with no one else around, and Ichigo found himself incredibly put off by the situation.

But why?

Orihime was easily one of the most gorgeous and popular girls in the school. They had similar tastes in music and videogames and manga. Hell, in the last few years, between fighting, being healed, and just hanging out, Ichigo had spent more time with Orihime than any of his other friends. So why was it that being alone with her seemed so much harder than it had been with Rukia?

And that was when it all shifted into place, as if Ichigo had been looking at things through a kaleidoscope.

No matter what Orihime said or did, he could not help but compare her to Rukia. He may have bickered with the soul reaper constantly, but Ichigo knew when all was said and done, Rukia was the only girl he would ever have feelings for. Since the instant she had stabbed him, and infused his soul with her own shinigami powers, their souls had been connected. Ever since then, their friendship had grown stronger, into something neither of them could describe.

But in the process, Ichigo had all but forgotten about Orihime, and her crush on him. She had faded into the back of his mind, an afterthought, save when Aizen had stolen her away to Hueco Mundo.

The redheaded woman bit her lip, an odd twinkle in her eye as she sidled up to Ichigo. She blushed, leaning in uncomfortably close.

"If only there were some way I could repay you for helping me with my bags," she batted her eyelashes, pressing herself against Ichigo. He could feel every inch of her curvaceous form against him. Her body was so soft and warm, and it was so cold outside…. For the merest instant, Ichigo felt the desire to give in. He thought about planting his lips on Orihime's, and taking her into his arms. She was more than willing. Her eyes were halfway closed, and her luscious lips were pursed. It would be so easy to dive in, and forget his pain.

Or so he believed.

Even as he struggled to forget about Rukia, and his fantastical visions of their life together, he couldn't bring himself to let her go. Orihime was a fine girl, but Ichigo knew that he didn't feel that way about her.

"W-wait," Ichigo stammered, his heart racing as he leaned away from the kiss he'd been about to partake in.

Orihime's face was beet red as she pulled back and opened her eyes, looking completely floored. She had been so sure that the deal was sealed. She had only closed her eyes after Ichigo had begun to reciprocate… but their lips had never met.

"Oh," Orihime said quietly, pushing her hair behind her ear, "I see. You must really love her then… Rukia, I mean."

"Wha- hold on… what did you hear?"

"You and Rukia were together, but had a falling out. Now she's gone… betrothed to some nobleman from the Soul Society."

"I suppose you've been texting Karin, haven't you?"

"Yuzu," Orihime corrected him, smiling bitterly, "we share recipes. When she told me what happened, I thought… I guess I thought that you and I might be able to…."

Ichigo said nothing as Orihime's eyes filled with unshed tears. As much as he hated himself for upsetting her, he felt it would've been worse to kiss her and then admit he had no romantic feelings towards her.

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said, "but… yeah. I really do love Rukia."

"It's fine," she sniffled, "I understand… Rukia is so pretty, and she's a shinigami. I always thought there was something between you two. I just… you and I have so much history, y'know?"

"Yeah, we do," Ichigo agreed, "but listen, I'm not saying Rukia is prettier or better than you, ok? You're a great girl, Orihime, and you deserve someone who loves you."

She wept quietly, wiping her eyes on her sleeve and smudging her make up, but her smile did not waver.

"I wish I could say that helps," she chuckled sadly.

It was no good. Ichigo couldn't stand to watch Orihime cry like that. She hugged herself tightly, not meeting his eyes as she tried to mask the pain on her face. Ichigo was clearly not the only person with relationship troubles. With a small sigh, he stepped forward and embraced Orihime, wrapping his arms around her and doing his best to convey positivity and warmth through the connection.

"It'll be alright," he told her quietly, unable to believe in his own words, "it has to be. Sooner or later."

"I guess we've both had our hearts broken now," Orihime mumbled thickly, causing Ichigo to furrow his brow as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

* * *

It had been three days since then. Three long, long days, and three equally long, sleepless nights. Ichigo had hoped that time would heal the wounds in his flagging spirit- people always talked about how time healed all wounds- but after three days, he felt no better about Rukia's departure. He had been stuck at home with his sisters, both of whom had their own reasons for disliking him, and his dad who couldn't seem to take the situation seriously. Each night he would lay awake, wondering if he hadn't made a mistake in not kicking down Kisuke Urahara's door and opening the Senkaimon. He thought about Orihime, and how she had tried to kiss him, and how he had very nearly let her.

On the fourth day, Ichigo decided to get out of his house, choosing instead to go to work, where he could be miserable and make money at the same time. After a long day of manual labor at a construction site, Ichigo fell into his bed, tired and sore from lifting heavy bags of concrete, cement blocks, and iron beams.

His sisters were both in their rooms. His dad was no doubt busy in the clinic, catching up on work he had missed due to his conference. The sun went down and the streetlamps came on, painting Karakura town a sickly shade of orange.

Ichigo stared at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts when a knock at the door interrupted them. Looking at the clock on his nightstand, he saw it was already half past nine o'clock. Visiting hours were over… maybe a clinic patient had accidentally knocked on the wrong door?

Knock, knock, knock.

It was a little louder now, and more urgent. Ichigo swung his legs from his bed when he heard one of his sisters leave her room and tromp down the staircase.

"What?" Ichigo heard Karin ask loudly, not bothering to even act polite.

He heard a quiet reply, but he couldn't make out the words, nor could he identify the person speaking. Ichigo froze, tilting his ear and listening carefully. Whoever was at the door had a powerful reiatsu that felt familiar, though it was fuzzy and hard to make out.

He heard a groan, and the sound of slow, struggling footsteps coming up his stairs. Grabbing his combat pass from his pocket, he stood, prepared to fight should the need arise. He couldn't explain it, but something told him that this was not an ordinary visit. The slow, grunting presence stopped by Ichigo's door. The redhead flinched when something tapped on it.

"Ichigo," Karin's voice came from the other side, "open up. You have a visitor… and he's really freakin' heavy!"

Stuffing his pass back into his pocket, Ichigo threw open his door. His eyes were immediately accosted by a mane of spiky maroon hair tied in a ponytail, a sharp jaw, and jagged eyebrows that still caught him off guard.

"Wassup, Ichigo," Renji mumbled, leaning heavily on Karin, who had slung his arm over her shoulder and was keeping him upright.

"What the- Renji, what the hell are you doing here-" Ichigo's words caught in his throat. The acrid scent of alcohol was heavy in the air as Renji belched. Karin looked disgusted, and quickly removed herself from under Renji's arm, allowing him to drop onto the floor, where he lay, groaning.

"He's your problem, now," Karin said haughtily, turning up her nose at her brother and heading back to her room.

Ichigo watched her go, unsure of what to do with Renji, who looked like he might be sick.

"Thanks, I guess."

The soul reaper on Ichigo's floor groaned and rolled over onto his back. He stared at the high schooler with glazed eyes that seemed to slide in and out of focus.

"Had a bit too much to drink, Renji?" Ichigo asked, extending a hand.

The lieutenant grit his teeth. "Something like that."

Renji was in his gigai, which meant that he had probably been in the world of the living for a little while, but why on Earth would he suddenly stop by, especially when he was totally plastered?

The soul reaper took Ichigo's proffered hand, and was deftly pulled to his feet. The world seemed to spin, but he caught himself against the wall and leaned on it heavily, never once taking his eyes from the substitute soul reaper. It was hard to explain, but something felt off. Sure, Renji's spiritual pressure was hazy, which was to be expected given the fact that he was stumbling drunk, but something in his eyes put Ichigo on edge. Why did they seem so… unfriendly?

"Hey uuuh, Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna- _hic_ -go for a walk with me? I could use some fresh air."

It wasn't lost on Ichigo that Renji wanted to speak in private. Though he was wasted, he still retained an air of seriousness. There was no doubt that whatever the soul reaper wanted to discuss was pretty important.

"Sure. Let me get my coat and we can go down to the park."

* * *

After getting his coat and putting on his shoes, Ichigo helped Renji down the stairs and out the door. Once they were walking, Renji shrugged off Ichigo's assistance, walking on his own, though he did stagger a bit.

'If nothing else, he knows how to move forward,' the substitute shinigami observed, carefully looking over Renji.

He looked a little shaky and pale, which was hardly surprising. He smelled like he may have already thrown up, but it was masked by the smell of liquor. After spitting on the ground, Renji pulled a flask from his back pocket and unscrewed it. He frowned, noting its limited contents before taking a swig. He didn't flinch, though a shiver seemed run through him. Without a word, he offered some to Ichigo.

"Uh, I'm good," Ichigo said.

Renji nodded and capped the flask before slipping it back into his pocket. He stuffed his hands into his coat pockets as well, shuffling forward a little more quickly. Ichigo lengthened his stride to keep up.

Before long they were in the park, following the long running trail that looped through tall trees and vast fields of grass used for sporting events and the occasional concert. As they walked in silence, Ichigo once more withdrew into himself. He couldn't help but think of Rukia, and before long, strange thoughts began to irk him. Renji wouldn't show up out of the blue and want to speak privately to Ichigo for something unimportant. Could he be a messenger from Rukia?

Or worse, was he delivering news of her? Could something have happened?

"Hold up, Ichigo," Renji muttered, stopping in his tracks beneath the yellow glare of a streetlamp.

The high schooler paused, looking concerned for the long haired soul reaper. Renji seemed to be shivering, and his skin was frightfully pale. His jaw quivered, but Ichigo couldn't see his face. He didn't need to. Just from hearing Renji's voice, he could tell that something was seriously wrong.

"What's going on, Renji? I assume you called me out here to talk about Rukia-"

"Don't you dare say her name in my presence," the soul reaper snarled. "I… I can't believe I trusted you. To think you would betray me like this is something I never would've seen coming, but then again, you _are_ a human. It's my own fault for thinking I could confide you. Who knew that sacred bonds forged in the heat of battle could be broken so easily?"

Renji turned, glaring at Ichigo over his shoulder. The unfriendliness was gone, replaced with pure malice. Ichigo took a step back, clueless as to what was going on. Why did Renji look so angry?

"Calm down for sec, you aren't making any sense," Ichigo said, meeting Renji's eyes with a defiant glare of his own, "what the hell are you on about? If you know something about Rukia, spit it out!"

"You bastard, I told you not to say her name," Renji growled, gritting his teeth. He clenched his fists, his reiatsu appearing around his body in a shimmering crimson aura of light.

"Renji, what the hell are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" soul reaper popped a small candy into his mouth. His gigai fell to the ground in a heap, but in the gigai's place, Renji's soul form stood at the ready, sword in hand.

"The truth is… I've come here to kill you, Ichigo."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes, continued:**_

 _ **Dun dun duuuuuuuuuun. Three guesses as to why Renji is so pissed. Also, Orihime and Yuzu are totally cooking bffs. Dammit, I made myself sad.**_


	8. Jealousy, Passion's Cruel Counterpart

"Are… Renji, you _can't_ be serious."

"I am. I've given this a lot of thought, too. I've spent the last few days going over it in my mind, pouring over the consequences of my actions, and yours. I _told_ you that I had feelings for Rukia. I even _thanked_ you for bridging the gap that had divided us since we became members of the Gotei 13. And how did you repay me?!"

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat. Renji had, in fact, thanked him for that. At the time, they had been on their way to confront Juha Bach in the Soul Society, so he hadn't given it much thought. After all, the odds of their victory had been looking slimmer and slimmer by the second.

"Wait, so that was you confessing your love for Rukia?! How the hell was I supposed to know-"

Renji cut him off, excruciating pain etched into the lines of his face as he shouted at the night skies, "YOU BETRAYED ME! YOU MADE A MOVE ON HER AS SOON AS YOU WERE ALONE WITH HER! YOU KNEW HOW I FELT ABOUT HER, BUT YOU DIDN'T CARE, DID YOU?!"

It was Ichigo's turn to shout. His head and his heart were pounding furiously, and Renji was acting like a first class asshole. The anger that had been building inside of him for days reached a crescendo in a matter of seconds, and his reiatsu crashed forth like a tidal wave of spirit energy, painting the darkness of his surroundings in an ethereal blue light.

"I _NEVER_ BETRAYED YOU!" Ichigo bellowed, his reiatsu flaring with his temper, like gasoline on a fire, "HOW THE HELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW YOU FELT ABOUT RUKIA?! I'M NOT A GODDAMNED MIND READER!"

"WE WERE CHARGING HEADLONG INTO A SUICIDE MISSION! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES, MORON!" Renji's anger flared up just as brightly as Ichigo's, though his reiatsu was steadily becoming clearer, as if he were purging the alcohol from his body by sheer force of will. All at once, his anger receded, and his voice grew small and cracked.

"None of that matters now," the soul reaper muttered, "Rukia came to see me a few days back. She told me about the two of you… fraternizing. Then she told me about her betrothal to Lord Something-or-another. The only common denominator I can find in all of her unhappiness… is you, Ichigo!"

Faster than lightning, Renji slid a familiar crimson glove onto his hand and cleared the space between them, slugging Ichigo in the gut. The force of the strike was so great that it knocked his soul clean out of his body, and he flew through the air like a trapeze artist until he managed to get a handle on his trajectory and land on thin air. His physical body had crumpled to the ground at Renji's feet, but the soul reaper kept his eyes fixed firmly on Ichigo's soul form.

"If you have anything to say, say it now," the shinigami declared, looking at his comrade-turned-enemy with shrewd, narrowed eyes.

Crossing his arms, Ichigo furrowed his brow at the soul reaper, who held his blade in a traditional kendo pose, with both hands firmly grasping the hilt, and a wide stance.

"I won't fight you," Ichigo called, keenly aware of the insidious pounding on the door situated in the back of his mind, "you've got it all wrong. Rukia doesn't want to marry that guy! I've seen it in her eyes, Renji! I think someone may be forcing her to do this!"

"AND IT'S YOU!" the long haired man roared. He used flash step and vanished momentarily, his figure flickering out of existence. Ichigo felt his reiatsu reappear behind him, but was prepared for that. Flanking was a common tactic for members of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. He was already spinning on his heel, bringing Zangetsu around to parry the attack.

Ichigo swept aside the blow, now face to face with Renji. The soul reaper looked positively demented, with his face twisted in a savage grimace of emotional torment. Ichigo was suddenly wrenched out of the present and into the past as he recalled his previous bouts with the soul reaper. The first time they had fought, Ichigo had lost, and Rukia had been taken from him. When they met again in the Soul Society, Ichigo had been the victor. Compared to those encounters, the both of them were much, much stronger, which made it difficult to determine how they sized up against one another. The only thing Ichigo knew for certain was that he could not take Renji lightly.

' _Damn, he hasn't lost his touch_ ,' the substitute shinigami realized, bitterly remembering how Renji had been healed in the Soul King's palace, just as he himself had been. The thought was quickly lost to Ichigo's fighting instincts, which kicked into overdrive as the soul reaper slashed, stabbed, and struck at him with everything in his repertoire.

Each blow rang with the keening cry of steel on steel, and sparks flew through the night like fireflies, briefly illuminating fierce snarls of concentration as Renji tried to kill Ichigo, and the latter used every available technique to avoid getting skewered.

Well, _almost_ every available technique. There was no way in hell Ichigo would release his hollow against Renji. Not willingly, anyway.

The distraught shinigami aimed a heavy overhanded strike at Ichigo's neck, trying to decapitate him. Ichigo batted away Zabimaru in excellent form, following up with a riposte that left a slight gash on Renji's briefly exposed ribcage. The man with long, spiky maroon hair growled in the back of his throat, looking not unlike a wounded animal as he bared his teeth.

"HRAAAAAGH!" he shouted, unleashing a devastating flurry of blows that Ichigo had to focus intently on to avoid getting struck. It wasn't often that he met someone who could match him in both strength and speed, so when Renji began to move much faster than normal, Ichigo began to worry.

While the soul reaper had always been able to keep up with him in terms of raw power, Ichigo's ingenuity and fierce fighting spirit had previously allowed him to get the upper hand. Now, however, it was clear that Renji had been putting in as much training as possible. From his tight, effortless form and neat strikes, Ichigo could only surmise that he had been sparring with Byakuya in an attempt to enhance his fundamentals and attack speed. And from the way Ichigo was being pushed back, it had clearly paid off.

"You-should-never-have-messed-with-Rukia!" yelled Renji, punctuating each word with a slash.

"Don't be a moron!" Ichigo exclaimed, "didn't you hear me?! Rukia may well be in danger, and you're here instead of in the Seireitei, protecting her! Something else is going on, I know it!"

In an attempt to give himself some space, Ichigo pushed hard against Renji, causing him to slid backwards in midair. His balance remained unaffected, however, and the shinigami was undeterred.

"Quit lying and fight me like a man!" He closed with Ichigo once more.

Their swords met, Zangetsu's large blade shimmering in the moonlight against Zabimaru's razor edge. Renji tensed his grip and shoved with all his might while Ichigo countered with his own. Their blades screamed in protest as Renji dragged his sword down, and Ichigo realized all too late what he was up to. Hooking the tsuba of his sword around the edge of Zangetsu's blade, which did not possess a guard of any kind, Renji pushed upward, forcing Zangetsu out of the way, and leaving an opening for him to attack.

The long haired man grinned, curling back his arm as he towered over Ichigo. With unerring accuracy, he planted his fist against the substitute soul reaper's cheek, but the strength behind the blow was far greater than normal, and reinforced with a substantial amount of Renji's spirit energy. Ichigo was blasted backward with enough force to create a sonic boom in the air. The ground rose quickly to meet him, and his vision dimmed as stars danced before his eyes. He blinked away the sensation as pain burned through every part of his body, rending him temporarily unaware of his surroundings. Dust and dirt smattered his face and eyes, and fell into his open mouth. Once his senses had returned to him, Ichigo stood gingerly, brushing off his shihakusho as he admired the size of the crater he'd formed upon impact. It was almost three feet deep at its lowest point, and looked eerily reminiscent of photos he'd seen of meteor landings. In this case, however, _he_ was the meteor. Or would he have been a meteorite? He couldn't be sure with his brain addled as it was.

Ichigo spat on the ground, trying to get rid of the gritty taste of earth in his mouth. Not for the first time, he was glad that his soul form was more resilient than his physical form, because a blow like that might have killed him.

' _Wait a second_ ,' Ichigo thought. His eyes flickered between Renji, who looked down at him from on high, still hovering in midair, and his physical form, which was still lay slumped on the sidewalk. A question formed in his mind, and without thinking, Ichigo asked it aloud.

"If you were trying to kill me outright, why wouldn't you just attack my physical form?"

Renji gnashed his teeth in frustration. Though he had managed to eliminate enough of the alcohol's effects to fight, it would seem some of his finer thinking skills were still spotty. He gripped his sword so hard that his hands shook, and he stared at the man he'd once called a friend with conflict in his heart.

' _I can't actually kill you, Ichigo_ ,' Renji thought sourly, ' _we've known each other too long. You are… were a good friend at one time. I couldn't forgive myself if I murdered you. And Rukia…._ '

He let the thought trail off as Ichigo leapt into the sky once more. If Renji did anything to hurt Ichigo, Rukia would surely have something to say about it.

When he had last talked to her, three days ago, she had spoken to Renji quietly about her friendship with Ichigo, and how it had become strained by complicated feelings neither of them fully understood.

" _I really care for Ichigo, but… I have no choice_ ," she had said to him miserably.

Needless to say, Renji had been quite overwhelmed by jealousy when he learned of their romantic feelings towards one another. He knew that Rukia was underplaying what had happened between herself and Ichigo, and that there was something between them that she was hiding. Renji could only imagine how she might react if he had been the one to kill Ichigo, and over her, of all things.

 _"_ _I can't believe you would do this_ ," his imagination cried in an exact replica of Rukia's strained voice, " _How could you kill Ichigo when you know that I love him?! Get out of here! I never want to see you again!_ "

Renji was tormented by the sounds of her berating as Ichigo came to stand at the same height as him once more. He looked a little shaken, and he wore the same confused frown that people usually wore after taking a blow to the head, but for the most part he looked unharmed.

"What the hell, Renji?! Don't you care that Rukia may be going through with this against her will?" Ichigo asked, adding his voice to Rukia's, which was now shouting at him to stop this madness.

"Shut up, Ichigo! You don't understand a damn thing!"

"I know that you're upset, and I'm sorry, but I can't change how I feel! I didn't know you liked her like that, but listen to me for a second! Rukia doesn't want to marry Lord Kamisaigaiku!"

"I loved her first! I had feelings for her long before you were even around!" Renji shouted hoarsely, focusing his power into his sword as he swept a hand over Zabimaru's blade. It changed, taking on its shikai form as Renji drew back his arm, preparing to cast it like a whip.

"Don't be an idiot! If you really cared for Rukia, you would listen to what I'm saying! She's being forced into this somehow, I just know it!"

The blades on Renji's Zabimaru unhinged, extending into a long, bladed whip of sorts. He swung it this way and that, and with each swing, Ichigo had to guard against the blades that threatened to saw him into pieces. Not only that, but it did not move like a normal whip. It almost felt alive, and it struck at him from all sides at the bidding of its master, whose reiatsu burned like a maroon wildfire.

And still, the hollow pounded on the doors of Ichigo's mind, threatening to take control with every strike, timing it perfectly with Renji's attacks so as to inhibit his concentration. It was the epitome of a perfect two pronged attack, and Ichigo was on the losing side. With each parry and dodge, he felt the doors splinter a little more, and darkness poured through the cracks, sending icy chills through his body. Images of Rukia danced behind Ichigo's eyes. The way she looked in the sunlight. The way her long lashes drew attention to her dark eyes that were as deep and beautiful as the black waters of a stormy ocean…

"Renji! Stop! For Rukia's sake, I'm begging you!"

The soul reaper froze, his sword raised high over his head. He had been about to deal Ichigo the final blow, as he had been pushing him back, bit by bit. In all the time Renji had known him, he had come to regard Ichigo as… well, as an equal. He was just as stubborn and proud as any fighter in Squad Eleven; perhaps even more so than Renji, but he was also as reliable as snow in winter.

And in all that time, he had never heard Ichigo beg for anything, much less for a fight to stop. To hear him beg and plead like some sort of weakling made warning bells go off in the back of Renji's mind. As proud and stubborn as the high schooler was, he would never stoop so low as to beg. Not normally, anyway.

But now here he was, verbally prostrating himself before Renji. It certainly wasn't because he was overwhelmed. Sure, Ichigo had taken a couple good hits, but his reiatsu was still strong, and his spirit form was far from weak. Neither of them had even bothered to use their bankai, yet. So why on earth would he beg for Renji to stop his onslaught?

As the shinigami lowered his sword, pondering the strange circumstances that had led to that moment, he watched Ichigo carefully, in case it was a ploy to make him drop his guard. Ichigo made no move to attack though. He slung his blade over his shoulder, staring at Renji with those soft brown eyes that were hardened with determination.

"You can be as angry at me as you like," the substitute soul reaper said finally, "but if you really care about Rukia, you have to hear me out."

The long haired man heaved a sigh. Nothing was ever straightforward and uncomplicated as far as Ichigo was concerned. Trouble followed him around like a plague, infecting everything and everyone around him. Perhaps it was this mysterious force that constantly attempted to intervene on his life that had made him so strong. Some of the most powerful people Renji had met were those whose pasts were riddled with trials and suffering.

"I'm only listening for Rukia's sake," Renji muttered callously. "As far as you and I go, our friendship is officially over."

As much as those words stung, Ichigo knew he had to bite his tongue. It would do no good for him to start arguing with Renji all over again. So long as they had a common goal, their feud would have to wait.

"Fine, then. It'll have to do for now. Rukia is supposed to be marrying this Kamisaigaiku guy, but I know she doesn't want to," the orange-haired high schooler said, "what do you know about it?"

"That guy- Kamiwhateverthefuck- is supposed to be some secretive bigshot. From what I've heard, he is to the Spirit King what the Shihoin clan is to the Seireitei. Very covert." Renji picked his nose and flicked it away, not looking overly concerned about his loose lips. It wasn't like he was telling Ichigo stuff he wouldn't find out sooner or later.

Ichigo put his knuckles to his chin, thinking hard. "That would explain why he's suddenly out in the open. After the Spirit King was killed, his clan was probably forced to operate under extremes to try and mop up the mess, thus revealing themselves to the whole of the Soul Society. But why would he suddenly become interested in Rukia?"

"From my understanding, He came to the Soul Society to investigate Yhwach's effect on the place. They've been doing all kinds of weird stuff in conjunction with the Department of Research and Development, but it's all on a very need to know basis. Even with their teams working together, the Kamisa…Kamisaigoku… Kamigaisa…"

"Kamisaigaiku," Ichigo said, raising an eyebrow at Renji.

"Shut up. The Kamisaigaiku clan is nobility, and they aren't even from the Soul Society. They have their own pocket dimension, but apparently have loose ties to the other noble clans. Gold, trade goods, all that nonsense."

"Which would mean that Byakuya knew about them?"

"I guess. It must've been a secret, because now Byakuya is busy running around like the Kamisaigaiku's personal errand boy, preparing for the wedding. From what he says, Rukia met the leader of their clan while they worked to integrate them into the Seireitei, and the guy took a liking to her."

"Wha- so he can just marry her on a goddamn whim?!"

Renji closed his eyes, turning away from Ichigo's outrage. Though he looked unaffected, he had been just as outraged as Ichigo when the situation had been explained to him by Byakuya.

"Not even close. From what Rukia said to me, it's a matter of honor… and a lot of money. The Kuchiki clan, from what she says, isn't as rich as it once was."

"But doesn't Byakuya live in a mansion?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm not his treasurer. In any case, the dowry Lord Kamisaigaiku offered for her hand in marriage was too good to pass up, and Rukia was honor bound to accept his proposal."

A pain swelled in Ichigo's chest, but also a great relief. The pain was sympathetic: a phantom of Rukia's own remorse at being wrangled into such a bargain. The relief was Ichigo's. It meant that Rukia hadn't been lying. She really _did_ care for him.

' _This means I was right… she doesn't want to marry him!_ ' the substitute soul reaper realized with a start.

"Renji-"

"Forget it, Ichigo," the maroon haired man snapped, "I won't take you to the Soul Society. You're on your own in that regard… but I suppose there are a couple things you should be made aware of…"

He turned to stare at Ichigo, who was frozen by the fierce gaze. The unfriendliness was apparent once more, though now it made much more sense.

"First off, you'd be a fool to try and crash the wedding. Every captain in the Seireitei has been invited, and they won't let you just waltz in. That said, I won't stop you from trying. If you want to throw your life away trying to save Rukia when she doesn't need saving, that's fine by me. Second, even though I won't help you, I won't hinder you, either. We may not be friends anymore, but Rukia obviously still has feelings for you, and I won't risk losing her friendship. The wedding is in a week, but if you'd like to see her before then, there will be a small gathering of close friends and family at the Kuchiki Estate three days before the ceremony. It'll be a formal event, so I'd recommend you watch your step, especially in my Captain's house."

Renji turned away from Ichigo once more, grinding his teeth as he attempted to reign in his anger. Somehow, he knew that there was no way Ichigo would accept the marriage. He would fight and die trying to win Rukia back, but it would do no good. Either way, it was in Renji's best interest to sit back and let him do it. If Ichigo died, their score would be settled. And if he miraculously managed to get Rukia to change her mind, then Renji wouldn't have had a chance with her anyway.

"If you insist on following the war path, just know that I won't look to see you on the battlefield," Renji called as white light flooded from out of nowhere. Mist poured from an opening as a Senkaimon slid open before him, and hell butterflies winged their way into the world of the living.

"The feeling is mutual, Renji. If you get in my way, you know damn well that I won't hesitate to go through you."

"Heh. Big words for someone who begged me to stop attacking him. You're just scared I'll beat you."

"On the contrary, I'm not scared of anything anymore. Losing Rukia was something I'll never forgive myself for, and I'm not going to let anyone stop me from trying to get her back… but I know that she still cares about you, Renji, so consider this fair warning. I'm going to stop this wedding and get to the bottom of things!"

Renji bit his tongue to keep from issuing a retort. For all Ichigo's bluster, he was never a guy to make empty promises. His loyalty and dedication to his friends and family made him dangerous, so much so that that even the captains of the Gotei 13 regarded him with one part apprehension and one part awe. It was the reason Renji respected him so much… or rather, he used to.

Meanwhile, Ichigo glanced between Renji and the Senkaimon. It would be an easy matter for him to dart around Renji and go through it… or would it?

' _Maybe if I could just_ -'

Ichigo's thought died as soon as he locked eyes with the soul reaper, who was still on guard and ready to fight. If he tried to get to the Senkaimon through Renji, things between them would not be nearly so amicable. In fact, it may very well be the spark to reignite their battle.

When the substitute soul reaper made no attempt to breach the Senkaimon, Renji nodded stiffly, and he stepped through it, his head down as he gripped the hilt of his sword. In times of great duress, he found himself clutching onto the hilt of Zabimaru like a lifeline. Now, however, it was the only thing that kept him from slipping away into his thoughts. He had believed himself prepared to murder Ichigo, a man he'd called his friend. It was the sole reason he'd bothered to take any time away from the Seireitei, and he couldn't even go through with it. Not only that, but he'd fed Ichigo crucial information. In his own way, he had helped Ichigo.

Renji had never been much of a betting man, but as he made his way through the dark and uncomfortable precipice world, he realized that he had just made a gamble. He had placed a bet that Ichigo would fight and die trying to win Rukia back, and it twisted in his gut like a rusty dagger. Not only had he lost a friend, but he had inevitably led him to his doom.

Somehow, he'd never felt less satisfied.

No rain had ever fallen in the precipice world, but as Renji made his way through it, a single droplet of moisture fell to the earth, only to be quickly stomped out of its misery by the man who'd created it. No other tears fell, save that one, which Renji left to perish as the only evidence of his former friendship with Ichigo Kurosaki.

* * *

Three days after Ichigo's battle with Renji, Kisuke Urahara rose to meet the day like usual. The sun was bright, though a bitter chill gripped Karakura Town. Still, he was warm as he relaxed in the back of his shop with a hot cup of tea.

So far, it had been an excellent day. Aside from his usual clientele (an odd assortment of soul reapers, and spiritually aware humans) he had entertained seven other customers. In the history of the shop, that was a sort of record.

Of those visitors, only four had bought anything, and two of those customers had obviously been a couple, but he counted them separately. If any other shop were cursed with such low sales, they would likely hang up a 'Going Out of Business' sign and have done with it, but Kisuke was quite excited.

The majority of his business was done in the Soul Society, by the leave of the Head Captain, who believed that the shop in the world of the living provided a unique advantage to any soul reapers in the field. The contracts Urahara received were in bulk for mundane supplies every soul reaper needed, but they covered the cost of operations, and then some. What this meant was that the funds from any humans who dropped by went directly into his pocket. A one hundred percent profit margin! Who could ask for more?

The blonde man sighed and stirred his tea, which had cooled since he'd begun to ponder his business. Yes, today was an excellent day, and he now had almost twenty thousand yen burning a hole in his pocket. But what should he buy with it?

"Ahem," grumbled a deep voice from behind Kisuke.

The shop owner froze with his lips on the rim of his teacup. He choked and nearly spat it back up, thumping his chest as he turned to find Tessai standing over him, his glorious mustache like a beacon of manliness.

"Ah, Tessai! You startled me. Is something the matter?"

"Hand it over," the large, muscular man said quietly, holding out a hand as he planted his other fist on his hip.

"W-What are you talking about?" Kisuke asked, turning even paler than normal.

"The money you swiped from the till. Hand it over to me!"

"Aw, c'mon, Tessai! I was gonna buy us all lunch! We've been working hard, and we deserve something nice!"

Tessai pursed his lips and scrunched up his eyebrows at Urahara, who had tea leaking from his nostrils.

"Ginta, Ururu and I have been working quite diligently, yes," he agreed, "but _you_ have been quite lax since we landed those contracts from the Soul Society. You cannot simply take money from the register, regardless of how well we are doing! It sets a poor example for our impressionable staff, and you must be accurate in reporting any profits you've earned on your taxes!"

"What's the big deal? I paid taxes last year, didn't I?"

"You must pay them every year, or else the local government will be forced to garnish your income!"

"So where's the problem?"

Tessai's eye twitched. For a genius, Kisuke Urahara could certainly be dim.

"Think! You cannot pay taxes using the commission from your Seireitei contracts! They are used to pay for our merchandise, utilities, and other expenses! And when you are unable to pay, they will drag you off to prison for tax fraud!"

"So I'll bust out," Kisuke leaned against the table, smiling as he enjoyed this game of what-if's. He found it to be excellent sport for keeping his mind sharp, like a good brain teaser.

"If you bust out of prison, you'll be a fugitive! Wanted criminals cannot own and operate a business!"

"Then I suppose I would have to leave the shop to you," Kisuke said thoughtfully, scratching at his chin. "Then I could open up a new shop in the Seireitei!"

"Flattery does not work on me. I am the only employee you have that would be able to legally run the store. And you would miss Ururu and Ginta too much. Now, hand over the money."

Heaving a defeated sigh, Kisuke put a hand in his sleeve and withdrew a crisp two thousand yen note before smacking it into Tessai's palm. The man did not relent, however.

"Do not take me for a fool," he muttered, his mustache positively aquiver with fury. "I know for a fact that you sold a fake kabuki mask to that young couple for almost triple its value because you made them believe it was authentic!"

"It was an authentic reproduction! A conversation piece!" Kisuke reasoned.

"Shady business practices do not fly in the face of honest working men and women. You'll be lucky if they only file a complaint with you. Now give me the rest of the money."

Suddenly, the door to the shop area slid open to reveal Ichigo. He was sweating slightly, as though he'd run there.

"Sounds like your bad business habits are finally getting you into trouble," he said. "It's about time Tessai called you out."

"Ah, Ichigo! To what do I owe the-" Kisuke stood from his floor cushion, making for Ichigo when Tessai threw out an arm to block his path.

"Fine. Here's your money…" He handed the rest of the yen notes to Tessai, who counted them out before nodding to Ichigo and returning to the shop floor to put the money back in the register.

"Now, what can I do for you on this wonderful day?" Urahara asked, giving Ichigo a tip of his hat and a hearty wink.

Without prompting, Ichigo took a seat on one the cushions.

"With all the money you've been making, you could definitely afford to give Ururu and Ginta a raise," he told the shopkeeper. "They killed a hollow that had been following me when I arrived."

"Aw, not you, too! Tessai already mentioned raises, but if I pay them more, I won't be making much more than I was before! But never mind that, how did you not notice you were being followed by a hollow?"

"I… had other things on my mind." Ichigo's expression turned sour. Some small part of him was glad to see Kisuke getting the kick in the pants he deserved, but he had more important things to discuss with the put upon shopkeeper.

"Considering those three are the only reason you're still able to operate your business, I think a raise is certainly due. That said, I have to ask you something… just how much money did Karin give you? And why would you take her money if things are doing so well?"

Kisuke pulled down the brim of his hat once more, obscuring the top half of his face. The only thing Ichigo could see was his small smile, as mischievous and off putting as ever.

"She gave me a little over one and a half million yen," Kisuke said deviously, "and in exchange, I told her everything about you, the Soul Society… pretty much anything she asked about. No holds barred, and no truths omitted."

"You told her everything?"

"Everything."

"Everything as in 'everything', or everything as in _everything_?"

Kisuke leaned forward, staring at Ichigo with eyes that were as playful as they were intense. Within them, the spark of mad genius was prevalent.

" _Everything_."

Tessai reopened the door and came to stand behind Urahara, which was good because Ichigo was already clenching his fists, ready to punch the shopkeeper right on his stupid nose. Karin was aware of everything, and that money… Ichigo knew exactly where it had come from.

"You idiot," he mumbled quietly, "you have to give that money back to Karin… that was her college fund! Our mom made that account for her just after she was born! Dad puts every cent he has to spare in it!"

While Ichigo had been born a bit before Isshin and Masaki were financially stable, Karin and Yuzu both had special bank accounts in their names that allowed parents to save up for college from the time their children were born. The contents of their accounts would be pretty valuable now, considering how old they were, and Ichigo knew that it was the only way Karin would have that kind of money.

"I see. I'm sorry, Ichigo, but I can't give you that money. I'm afraid I no longer have it."

The high schooler slammed his fist onto the table, rattling the china and earning him a scowl from Tessai. Kisuke, on the other hand, looked calm as ever. Nothing ever really seemed to phase the man. He reminded Ichigo of Aizen in that regard… and not in a good way.

"What the hell?! What could you have spent it on?! Who did you give it to?!"

Ichigo's questions only made the shopkeeper smile more widely. The urge to sink his fist into the lanky blonde man's gut intensified with each passing moment.

"That is quite enough, Kisuke," Tessai grumbled, crossing his arms and displaying his lean, veiny forearms, "you are getting the lad worked up for nothing."

"I was testing his self-control," Kisuke admitted with a shrug. "I wanted to make sure he'd had time to think things over. It seems to me that he's probably ready to go to the Soul Society."

"Huh? That's great, but what about-"

"Karin's gift, while generous, was not needed," Tessai informed the young man, "more importantly, the taxes on such a transaction would be disastrous on our budget, so we had no choice to return it. The funds should be deposited back into her account any day now."

The substitute soul reaper fell back onto his cushion, unaware of the fact that he had risen from it. Relief permeated his being like a cleansing bath, washing away his anger. He had been terrified for a moment that Karin had wasted her money. It took a moment for him to notice that Kisuke was now standing.

"Alright," he said as he stretched his legs, "I suppose I'll open the Senkaimon for you… you ready to go?"

Ichigo wasn't sure. For a moment, he considered telling his friends where he was going and inviting them along, or maybe telling Karin that she had gotten her life's savings back. Then he realized that he didn't want his friends to go with him. It felt too personal, and besides, Chad was probably working, and it wouldn't be fair to invite Orihime on a quest to stop a marriage, just so that Ichigo could be with Rukia instead of her. Then there was Uryu, who, even if he hadn't been working or studying, would just push his glasses up his nose and tell Ichigo that he was being stupid.

"I…yeah," he said slowly, "I guess I am ready."

"You hesitated," Kisuke noted, "the Ichigo I know would never hesitate to jump headlong into danger. Especially not for the woman he loves."

He turned away before Ichigo's face began to burn, leaving the high schooler to follow after him and avoid eye contact with Tessai, who smirked, but said nothing.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Here we have another example of my incredible ability to procrastinate. I have like ten writing projects vying for my attention, but here I sit writing fanfiction. I think this is the longest chapter yet. I've been working on my imagery, because I feel as though I've been a bit lax in that regard. I've also been trying to go through and carefully edit chapters to make them more readable. In any case, I had to add that scene with Kisuke. This chapter needed a break from all the seriousness.**_

 _ ***Music***_

 _ **Always - Saliva (I think this one sort of describes Renji and Ichigo's relationship)**_

 _ **Friendly Fire - Nothing More (a song about betrayal)**_

 _ **Are You Coming With Me? - Crown the Empire (I saw this on a dope Bleach amv called God Is Dead. Check it out)**_

 _ ***BONUS SONGS***_

 _ **Get Up - All Good Things (just a good fight song)**_

 _ **Ready To Go - Panic! At the Disco (get it? Cause Ichigo is ready to go? Ok, I'll shut up, now.)**_

 _ **Thanks for reading! Who's ready to see Ichigo kick some ass?**_


	9. Reunited at Last! Enter the Interloper?

Rukia knew she was dreaming, but that didn't help at all. The visions that haunted her sleep and kept her from feeling rested had been growing worse and worse with each passing day. And now, on the day of the tea ceremony, she couldn't seem to wrench herself from the depraved manifestations of her stress.

She dreamed she was standing in Ichigo's room. There was a hole in the wall and a broken chair. Ichigo was shaking, his back to Rukia as he took several deep, uneven breaths. Rukia's entire body grew tense as she waited for Ichigo to turn around. She knew what was coming, having had the same dream several nights in a row.

" ** _HiiYAAAAAAARGH_**!" Ichigo issued a horrifying, warbling screech and spun about, his sword appearing in his hands. The irises of his eyes were as golden as the midday sun with inky black sclera, and his face was covered in a stark white mask that forcefully reminded Rukia of a skull. The grim visage of the mask seemed to imprint itself on her psyche as phantom pains erupted from the wound she'd been dealt from her battle with the hollow above the school.

"Hyaagh!" Rukia bolted awake, her body stiff and her limbs slick with perspiration as she peered to and fro. No one else was in her room, but the shadows in the corners seemed to flicker and dance in her peripheral vision, awakening the demons of her mind as she tried to tell herself there was nothing there.

' _It was just a dream_ ,' she reassured herself mentally.

A hasty rapping upon the bamboo frame of her door made her jump as it was quickly thrown open. All at once, her fears and worries were swept away by none other than the head of the Kuchiki clan, Byakuya.

His shoulder length black hair fell into his face, as he was not wearing his usual hairpieces, nor did he have his captain's haori. His steel gray eyes cut through the dim twilight of the morning, and within moments he'd determined there was no imminent danger.

"I thought I heard sounds of distress," he told Rukia, observing her startled composure.

"It was just a bad dream," she said, locking a stony expression onto her face as she met her brother's eyes.

Letting his hand fall from the hilt of his sword, Byakuya dropped his guard and let out a sigh. From the way Rukia was shaking beneath her sheets, it must have been one hell of a bad dream. Not that he could blame her; Byakuya had been on edge for days, running on very little sleep as he dealt with commanding his squad, and tending to the needs and requests of Lord Kamisaigaiku. He had been in the study next to his room, finishing up his paperwork and listening to the quiet bustle of the servants as they kept up the mansion when Rukia's cry had startled him.

She was not one to lose her cool so easily, and for the briefest of moments, Byakuya had thought that maybe the substitute soul reaper had made an appearance.

' _Kurosaki wouldn't dare to come here_ ,' the clan leader reasoned, _'_ _that foolish boy will stay in the world of the living if he knows what's good for him_.'

Coming back to his senses, Byakuya realized he had overstayed his welcome in Rukia's room, which was earning him quite the concerned stare from the woman that looked so much like his former wife.

When Rukia had told Byakuya of her misguided relationship with Kurosaki, he had been most displeased, but not for the reasons one might expect. He knew all too well that the human heart was a funny thing, having only recently managed to reopen his own to others after losing the woman he loved.

But after spending so much time with each other, it was only natural for Rukia and the substitute shinigami she'd inadvertently created to develop strong feelings for one another. The trust required to put your life in the hands of someone else was not something easily found, but they had managed to find it in each other's steadfast companionship. Few could hope to find such true friendship, and even fewer could boast a connection such as theirs, as it had transcended flesh and become a matter of soul shortly after their first meeting.

Instead of bowing his way out of the room, Byakuya pushed the hair from his face and knelt upon the floor next to Rukia's bed. The way her eyebrows slowly crept farther and farther up her forehead almost made him smile. It reminded him of when he had proposed to Hisana.

"I'm fine, brother," Rukia said quickly, "there's no need to-"

Her words broke off as Byakuya unsheathed Senbonzakura. The blade was flawless and finely polished, but he pulled at his shihakusho and polished it further, his fingers gliding over the metal as gently as one might hold a newborn. The atmosphere in the room changed as the clan leader polished his blade. His reiatsu had always been strong, even amongst the other captains of the Gotei 13, but now his spirit pressure was so powerful Rukia could feel it physically. When he had initially burst into the room, it had felt charged, as though someone had statically shocked her. Now, however, the tension was receding, and the flow of spirit energy whirling around Byakuya had calmed.

"I sense that you are stressed," he stated bluntly, not taking his eyes from his task.

Rukia's front cracked like an egg. Leave it to her brother to cut through lies as easily as he could cut through a tatami mat. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, the gears in her head turning. There was so much she was worried about: her impending wedding, Ichigo, the financial wellbeing of the Kuchiki clan, her pride as a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the tea ceremony later that day…

"It won't do for you to get so distracted that you fail in your duties," Byakuya said gently, "take it one step at a time. What will come will come, and you will rise to the occasion as you always have."

As much as Rukia wanted to thank her brother for his wisdom, she couldn't. Something seemed to stick in her throat, blocking her airway. For Byakuya to be able to pinpoint and extract the doubts from her mind with all the precision of a surgeon was astounding, and left her in a state of disbelief as he finished polishing his sword and sheathed the blade.

"I'll send a servant to bring you some chamomile and valerian root tea, and then we can take our breakfast early in the garden after I square away my reports to the head captain. Hisana always enjoyed watching the sunrise. She once told me that each dawn was a blessing, which meant that she had survived another day. When I find myself thinking about the future, I find her words to be… most encouraging. And something tells me today is going to be a long one."

The leader of the clan stood, dusting off the knees of his robes as he inclined his head to Rukia and excused himself from her quarters. In the silence, Rukia could hear Byakuya's words echoing in her mind, as if she were one of those- what were they called? Pinball machines? Yes! That was it! She felt like a pinball machine, and Byakuya's words seemed to rattle around in her mind like pinballs. As promised, a servant came to her door not long afterward, carrying a fine silver tea tray with exquisite antique china wrapped in golden filigree and emblazoned with the Kuchiki clan's emblem. Just looking at it and wondering how much it had cost nearly sent her into a fit of panic. The coffers of the once great Kuchiki clan were running short, so the fact that Byakuya did not make any changes in the way he was living seemed unduly odd. Were such displays of wealth really so important to the man whom had taken a commoner as his bride, and adopted her younger sister into nobility to fulfill a promise?

It didn't seem quite right to Rukia, but she dismissed these thoughts as the servant poured her a cup and put in a spoonful of honey. Either way, the affairs of the coffers were her brother's responsibility. It wouldn't do for her to mention it to him at such a critical juncture. Besides, she had more pressing matters to attend to.

After serving her tea, the same servant left for a few minutes and returned with a gift from Byakuya. It was a fantastic crimson kimono, patterned with white lotus blooms and stitched with gold.

"Lord Kuchiki asked that I bring you this," the servant said with a smile, "he said it belongs to the former lady of the house, Hisana. She wore it when she married Master Byakuya, and he wishes you to wear it to the tea ceremony today."

Rukia accepted the kimono from the servant, holding it at an arm's length so that she could admire the pattern and intricacy. It was thicker than a modern kimono, but incredibly soft. It was more than likely handmade, and from the looks of it, no expense had been spared. To think that her sister had worn that kimono to her wedding was odd, but for Byakuya to let her wear it was nothing short of remarkable.

"Also, he wished that I convey that breakfast will be ready soon. I believe he is waiting for you in the teahouse."

After thanking the servant and stowing away the kimono for safekeeping, Rukia put on her thickest, warmest over-robe and socks before marching out to the grounds.

The sky was dark, but the light of the sinking moon allowed her to see well enough to make her way through the cloisters. She then crossed a bridge over a large koi pond and arrived at the chashitsu, or tea house, which was situated in the center of a large garden. A light frosting of snow covered everything, lending the scene an ethereal, timeless quality, as most of the flowers were still in bloom.

Byakuya sat cross legged on a mat just inside of the teahouse. The doors were wide open, allowing him a grand view of the garden, and in a few minutes, the rising sun. His back was to a brazier with a fire burning, and when Rukia sat down next to him, she understood why.

With their heavy robes and a warm fire to their backs, they could gaze out at the serenity of a cold winter morning without freezing. Byakuya poured two cups of tea that steamed in the cold air, and they quietly sipped as they waited for the sun to rise.

To the leader of the Kuchiki family, it was a chance to rest, and take a moment to himself. Rukia, too, enjoyed the silence. As they watched the sunrise, they slowly became suffused with warmth. Hope for the new day blossomed like a flower as the sun drove away the clouds, and began to melt the thin layer of snow that coated the grounds of the Kuchiki estate.

* * *

Hours passed, and the sun rose to its zenith over the Soul Society, removing the harsh chill of the morning, and making those going about their business grateful for the change in weather. Several hundred feet in their air, however, things were not quite so warm. A doorway of light opened, and out of it flung a meteor the likes of which was rarely seen.

"Dammit all, why can't this thing open closer to the ground?!" Ichigo asked as he hurtled downward.

Chilly air buffeted him as he spiraled down towards the familiar layout of the Soul Society. From Ichigo's vantage point, he could see how much work had been done to put the Seireitei back to rights, and how much work was still left. Much of the destruction and rubble had been cleared away, but he could see great empty lots where buildings had once been, and mounds of new building materials that lay ready for use by a skilled architect.

Channeling his spirit energy into his legs, Ichigo kicked off from the air and somersaulted, stopping his descent as he crouched in midair. He stood, shielding his eyes from the sun as he tried to sense Rukia's spiritual pressure. Normally it was easy to find, but from so far away, and with so many other spiritual pressures, he couldn't seem to pinpoint her location.

The sounds of several people flash stepping behind him caused Ichigo to turn around, only to be faced with several members of the Stealth Force.

"Stop right there, Ichigo Kurosaki," a strong feminine tone commanded.

Soifon, the Captain of Squad Two, and leader of the Stealth Force, was hovering in midair, about level with Ichigo. She stood in front of her compatriots, her arms crossed, and a stern look on her face. For someone who looked so young, Ichigo found it surprising that she could appear so stern. Perhaps it was something that was borne of the burden of command.

"Oh, hey Soifon. Long time no see."

The substitute shinigami raised a hand in greeting to the captain, whose uptight attitude suddenly seemed a little silly. The men beside her looked to her worriedly, only to find that Soifon was… blushing?

'That damned Kurosaki,' she thought to herself, 'he looks so… so….'

Handsome? Fit? Mature? It was hard to explain, but in his time away, Ichigo Kurosaki seemed to have changed even more than he had since becoming a soul reaper. He had always been mature for his age, but it seemed that he'd finally left behind young adulthood, and was rapidly moving towards just being an adult.

"By the Spirit King, look at those forearms," she muttered to herself, biting her lower lip.

"Did you say something, commander?" the man on her right asked.

"N-no! I was just thinking out loud. Apprehend Kurosaki at once, by the order of Lord Kamisaigaiku!"

With her tone once more authoritative, her forces all vanished and reappeared around Ichigo, whose friendly smile and optimism vanished at once. Several pairs of hands made to grab him, but Ichigo concentrated and furrowed his brow.

His spirit energy burst to life, so potent and strong that none of the Stealth Force could touch him. The closer their hands got to Ichigo's body, the more his spirit pressure pushed them back. Soifon's sword appeared in her hands, but Ichigo made no move to draw his own.

"What's going on?" he asked. "I thought we were cool?"

Soifon huffed, blowing her hair out of her face as her sword took on its shikai form, transforming into a frightful golden gauntlet with a single stinger-like blade protruding from her middle finger.

"I am under direct orders to take you to Lord Kamisaigaiku," she stated imperiously, "throw down your sword and come with us!"

"First off, I'm not even using my sword," Ichigo said, showing the captain his empty hands, "and secondly… what the hell it that?!"

He pointed over her shoulder, looking utterly terrified. Soifon smirked, but quickly stopped when a shadow fell over her. She and the rest of the Stealth Force whipped around as a towering presence suddenly appeared in their midst.

Crunch!

A cracker was quickly torn apart by ravenous jaws. A bald head sparkled in the sunlight.

"Hey guys!" Omaeda said, unable to read the mood, "what'd I miss? I went to the bathroom, and you guys were all gone when I came out!"

"Kurosaki!" Soifon was the first to recover from her surprise, but when she turned around, no one was there. Ichigo and his overwhelming reiatsu were gone.

"Dammit!" She seethed as she sunk her fist into her lieutenant's protruding gut, dropping him to his knees and making him cough and splutter as the cracker he'd been munching choked him.

Her anger began to get the better of her until she took a deep breath and counted to ten. She turned away from Omaeda, breathing heavily through her nose as she crossed her arms.

"Everyone except for Lieutenant Omaeda, fan out! Find Kurosaki! He can't have gotten far!"

One by one, the members of the Stealth Force took a knee and vanished, no doubt scouring every inch of the Seireitei.

"Y-you got me good there, captain," Omaeda grunted, getting back to his feet and rubbing where she had punched him.

"I'apologize for striking you," Soifon muttered. "But your poor performance had to be made an example of. You are my lieutenant, so you are expected to be a cut above the rest. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to seek a replacement."

Omaeda's sheepish grin was gone. He could hardly believe what he'd just heard. He felt that his lenient attitude had earned him the respect of the men. He was the cool, fun lieutenant to Soifon's merciless and disciplined captaincy. Would she really replace him after all they'd been through together?

"I see. Is there anything else you need, Captain?"

"No. Now go out and get me a lead on Kurosaki's whereabouts. We already know that he's heading towards the Kuchiki Estate, so go there and keep watch. As soon as he's found, I need to be made aware. Tell the others that they are not cleared to engage him."

"So you're just gonna give him free reign?!"

"Of course not. You saw what happened when the others tried to grab him, didn't you? Only someone at a captain's level will be able to stop him. So what are you waiting for?! Get the hell out of here!"

"Yes, captain!"

* * *

From several hundred feet below, on a crowded market street, Ichigo watched the interaction between Soifon and her lieutenant. He had garbed himself in simple black cloak courtesy of Kisuke, which was supposed to have the same effect as the reiatsu blocking coat he had once developed.

" _This way you won't be so conspicuous. Plus, that coat was really hot. Stick to the poor districts and stay out of trouble, and you should be able to get pretty close to Byakuya's estate before anyone notices you_!"

Ichigo had to admit, Kisuke Urahara was ingenious when it came to the staying under the Seireitei's radar.

' _It's probably from all those years be spent in exile_ ,' he realized sadly.

His sour mood didn't last long though, for as soon as he stepped out of the shadow of the awning he was under and emerged into the sunlight, a calm, yet razor sharp voice echoed over the crowd.

"Do not move, Kurosaki."

A hush washed over the assembled shoppers and vendors as a tall man with shoulder length black hair and cold gray eyes walked down the street. Almost as if they were being pushed away from him by some unseen force, the throngs of people parted before him.

It was Byakuya Kuchiki, and from the slightly irritated look on his face, Ichigo surmised he was in trouble.

He closed the distance between them with each step, taking his sweet time, and all Ichigo could do was stand there, frozen in place. Byakuya had always carried himself gracefully, and as Ichigo perspired nervously, the noble haughtily walked right past him.

"Walk with me," he said, not leaving any room for argument, "Lord Kamisaigaiku wishes to meet with you."

Almost against his will, the substitute soul reaper fell into step with the captain of squad six, and before he knew it, all eyes were on him. The people of the Rukon district seemed to recognize Byakuya. Still, they watched him like sheep staring at a lion strolling through their midst. And now Ichigo had earned their attention as well.

He could feel it: hundreds of pairs of eyes were upon him as a sea of people parted for the odd couple. Ichigo couldn't recall ever being so self-conscious. If he had to guess, he probably looked like a grizzled, dirty wolf next to the proud lion that was Byakuya.

' _At least I'm not a sheep_ ,' he reasoned.

"So, it seems I was mistaken," Byakuya uttered, just loud enough for Ichigo to hear. "I was sure that you would not be foolish enough to show your face for Rukia's wedding. I did not think you would be so bold as to come back here after what you did to my sister."

A pit seemed to open up beneath his feet as Ichigo's stomach sank into a void of unpleasantness. Byakuya gave him a side glance, and his blood grew cold in his veins.

 _'_ _He knows about me and Rukia_ ,' Ichigo realized, unable to contain the surprise that painted his face, ' _who else did she tell_?!'

"If I were as young and impulsive as you are, you would taste steel for what you did to her," the nobleman's hand came to a rest on the hilt of his sword.

Every muscle in Ichigo's body clenched, as if bracing for impact. As soon as Byakuya drew his sword, he would have no choice but to defend himself… but could he defeat the soul reaper? He'd been healed with the superior reishi of the Soul King's Palace as well, and there was no doubt he had been keeping himself in tip top form.

The seconds ticked by slowly as he waited for the nobleman to strike. Ichigo's fingers twitched imperceptibly, as if they longed to grasp the hilt of his sword. Byakuya stole a glance at Ichigo, noting his incredibly stiff posture.

"Be at ease, Kurosaki. As much as I would like to take vengeance for what you did to Rukia, my duty to the Soul Society comes first. Not to mention that in killing you I would only cause Rukia more heartache. Why she still cares for a worthless substitute soul reaper such as you is beyond me."

The boiling fury that had been rising in the high schooler's chest suddenly vanished. Rukia still cared for him? Could it be that he was right, and she was being forced into marrying the leader of the Kamisaigaiku clan? The note she had left him seemed to grow heavy in his pocket, as if the words written therein were more substantial than before.

"Say, Byakuya? What exactly are you doing in this part of town?" Ichigo wondered.

"I am here for Rukia. Though she has undergone thorough training in the ways of nobility, she still prefers the taste of cuisine from the Rukon district. I come here so that our chefs have the proper spices for cooking her meals. I did the same thing for Hisana before she passed."

The soul reaper's eyes grew distant, as if he were staring at something a million miles away. The sadness in his heart was reflected on his face for a moment before he remembered present company and turned to scowl at Ichigo.

"You see, Kurosaki, when you _truly_ love someone, you go out of your way to do good for them. Whether they know it or not."

His words seemed to dig into Ichigo, like blades slowly being pushed beneath his skin. Rukia had obviously confessed much of what Ichigo had considered private to her brother. It was embarrassing to think that Byakuya knew all the little details about his time with Rukia. Hardening his resolve, Ichigo bit back his anger before replying.

"That's why I'm here," he said quietly, "because when you care about someone, you don't force them into an arranged marriage against their will."

It was Byakuya's turn to reign in his anger. He scowled at the substitute shinigami and uttered in an undertone, "You clearly know nothing of the situation, boy. Rukia was not forced into this wedding. She chose to accept the proposal."

"You can't lie to me," Ichigo responded in kind, "I know that she only agreed to the marriage because the Kuchiki clan is broke! You're forcing her into this to get your hands on the dowry!"

"Hold your tongue," Byakuya snapped, his tone deathly quiet, "I would never use Rukia in such a manner, and to insinuate that I would is to slander my honor. Her desire to marry Lord Kamisaigaiku was hers, and hers alone. The Kuchiki clan has never been more prosperous. We have no need for a dowry."

"But then-"

"I don't know where you get your facts," the nobleman spat, "but you clearly have no clue what you are talking about."

The shinigami captain reached into the folds of his shihakusho, and Ichigo flinched. He flushed with color when Byakuya pulled out a small pocket book and flicked through its pages.

"Allow me to enlighten you as to the prestige and wealth of the most noble house of Kuchiki, the esteemed Keepers of Knowledge."

With that, he thrust the book under Ichigo's nose. The substitute soul reaper frowned at Byakuya's cramped handwriting, which was neat and narrow, not unlike the man himself.

"What the hell is all of this?" he asked, scratching his head.

"This," Byakuya said smugly, "is a rundown of the Kuchiki clan's monthly earnings and expenses. Of course, it doesn't include any of our land holdings, sacred treasures, or other assets, which are each worth a fortune in their own right."

"H-hang on a damn minute… I'm still trying to count all the zeros."

"My family is quite fortunate," the captain continued, "we are considered the wealthiest of the noble houses, followed by the Shihouins. Of course, we use much of our excess income to help the less fortunate. Our coffers are not as full as they usually are, given our financing of the reconstruction of the Soul Society, but we are far from being 'broke.'"

"But if these were yen, that would make you guys millionaires!"

"Hardly. Those are not yen, but ryo, which is a measurement of gold. As I understand, gold is precious in the world of the living as well. Each ryo is worth about one hundred thousand yen."

Ichigo's jaw hit the ground, "You mean you guys are billionaires?!"

"Yes, and these records are kept up by me and verified by a notary every time they are updated, so they are undoubtedly legitimate. I would never use my sister as a bargaining chip. She made the choice to marry Lord Kamisaigaiku. I was initially against it, but she insisted."

Vertigo seemed to put Ichigo's world at an angle. Byakuya was clearly not in need of money, so why had Renji lied? And Rukia was the one whom had told Renji about the Kuchiki clan's financial troubles… was she lying? Or was Byakuya?

 _'_ _It makes no sense_ ,' Ichigo thought, ' _neither of them would lie, unless there was a very good reason for it. Still, something feels off._ '

As Byakuya led Ichigo out of the market districts, they passed through rows of poor housing that had yet to be repaired. Roofs were torn off and walls were missing. One house was nothing but a pile of smashed lumber. The only work that had been done to the area was to clear the garbage and debris from the street. Otherwise, it looked just as it had after Juha Bach's invasion.

"While I do not know what your true purpose is here, I do know that you did not come all this way to give your well wishes to Rukia. Ordinarily, I would send you back to the world of the living, but Lord Kamisaigaiku has taken an interest in you. Apparently, Rukia has told him of your close relationship, and he wishes to meet you."

"Wait, so I'm not actually in trouble? I thought I was gonna be put under arrest!"

"No. Captain Soifon is just more abrasive than usual due to her position. Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku is the leader of the clan in charge of covert operations for the Spirit King. Soifon and the Stealth Force have been working nonstop since he arrived. Mostly as extra security, which Soifon finds supremely degrading. She was under orders to escort you to Kuchiki manor. You are not under arrest, though that can change in an instant if you cause trouble. I sense that you have regained your hollow spirit, but you are expected to retain control. I will not let you poison Rukia's mind any more than you already have. Do I make myself understood?"

Ichigo had to resist the urge to scoff. _He_ was poisoning _Rukia's_ mind? He wanted to laugh in Byakuya's face and tell him he'd gotten it backwards, but he refrained from doing so.

"I expect an answer. Do you understand that if you cause any trouble whatsoever I will personally make sure you are put behind bars?"

"Yeah," Ichigo muttered, "whatever. But how-"

"Did I know you had regained your hollowfication? Your reiatsu is one of the darkest I have ever seen. In the time you've been away, it has only gotten darker. Take care that you do not stare overlong into the void that is your hollow, lest you lose yourself to it."

Byakuya's words were off putting, so Ichigo turned his thoughts back to Rukia. So long as he got to speak to her, there wouldn't be any need to cause trouble. If she missed him as badly as Byakuya made it sound, then convincing her not to marry Kamisaigaiku would be a piece of cake, right?

If only he had known how dreadfully wrong that assumption would turn out to be.

* * *

They arrived at the iron gates of the Kuchiki estate, which stood ten feet high and thrummed with their own spirit energy.

"It keeps rabbits from sneaking through and ruining the gardens," Byakuya explained as the wrought iron gates inched open of their own accord. Ichigo gave the gate a small prod, and his arm went numb, as if he'd been electrified.

"It feels like it could kill any poor bunny that tried to get in," he mused quietly, opening and closing his hand as pins and needles shot up his arm and into his shoulder.

Ichigo made to enter the grounds, but paused when Byakuya did not follow.

"I have other matters to attend to," the nobleman told him, "you can go in. The doorman will see you to the tea house. Remember what I've said, Kurosaki."

With that, Byakuya strode off down the path that led back into the Soul Society, leaving Ichigo alone in front of the Kuchiki Family Manor. Taking a deep breath, he raised a fist and knocked on the bamboo frame of the door. He waited, listening to the sound of footsteps approaching. The door slid open noiselessly, revealing a rather sour looking middle aged soul reaper with graying hair and thin lips.

"Hmm? Can I help you?"

"Uh." Ichigo wasn't quite sure what to say. Should he ask for Rukia? Or would it be better for him to speak with the leader of the Kamisaigaiku clan?

"Who is it, Jiroto?" asked another voice.

The doorman rolled his eyes, but was quickly pushed out of the way. A young blonde man with dazzling green eyes and a shaggy haircut took his place, frowning down at Ichigo with disdain.

"Well, well. Look who crawled out of his hidey hole! The substitute shinigami that was fooling around with Lord Kamisaigaiku's betrothed…"

He leaned against the door frame, barring Ichigo's entrance.

"You remember my name, _substitute_ soul reaper?"

The way he said 'substitute' made it sound like a swear word. Ichigo didn't quite recall the guy's name, but he definitely remembered that face. It was so punchable that it almost made him forget Byakuya's warning from three minutes ago.

"Not really," Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "I'm not too good with names… but your shitty attitude definitely rings a bell."

The man smirked, "My name is Kazue… and you shouldn't use such foul language. This is a noble house, and manners are of the utmost importance while you are here. You shouldn't be angry with me because Rukia chose to marry Lord Kamisaigaiku. Accept your loss with some dignity."

"I haven't lost anything yet," Ichigo took a step forward.

Kazue grinned, stepping so close that his chest bumped Ichigo's.

"I would beg to differ."

The tense moment was interrupted by the doorman clearing his throat. Another figure appeared in the doorway.

"Ah, I see the substitute soul reaper has arrived," said a tall man with a bald head and tons of muscle. "Honor be to you, Kurosaki."

Kazue took a step back, giving Ichigo one last smirk before disappearing into the mansion's interior.

"My lord wishes to meet with you." Kenichi grumbled, "Follow me, I shall take you to the tea house."

* * *

The sheer size of the Kuchiki estate was still something that caught Ichigo by surprise. It was nearly the size of his high school, and filled with so many strange rooms and closed doors that it would be impossible for him to navigate the place without someone else to guide him.

Kenichi was silent as he led the way to the tea house. He was probably too tall for a conventional house, but in the manor, with its vaulted ceilings and airy headspace, he could walk around as normally as anyone else. The old wood groaned beneath his feet, and Ichigo was just wondering how much he weighed when they emerged into the sunlight.

They stood in a garden decorated with plenty of flowers, all of which were still miraculously in bloom. Hell butterflies fluttered whimsically from flower to flower in search of nectar. At the center of the garden was a koi pond, and in the center of that pond was small inland with a single cherry blossom tree, which scattered its petals into the small stream that cut through the garden.

They crossed a small bridge, and arrived at an outbuilding Ichigo could only surmise to be the teahouse. And there, within it, was a spiritual pressure so familiar that Ichigo felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Rukia," he said.

"She is inside, no doubt helping to prepare for the tea ceremony. You are quite early, so you will be able to meet with Lord Hideyoshi and his bride before the ceremony begins. Try not to get in the way of the servants. They are operating behind schedule, and have no time for interruptions or mistakes."

As if to reinforce Kenichi's point, the door to the teahouse burst open, and several people ran outside carrying stacks of fine china. From within the teahouse, Ichigo could hear someone shouting.

"We need to seat six more guests, and this tea set isn't big enough! We cannot have mismatched tea cups! On my honor, we will make sure the honor Kamisaigaiku name is upheld!"

"My lord is not here yet," Kenichi noted dryly, "but will be along shortly. You may speak with the bride while I fetch him."

Kenichi turned and lumbered away. In his navy shihakusho, he looked like a great blue wall of muscle. If he was a part of the tea ceremony, Ichigo was tempted to stay and watch it. Could a guy like that even drink tea without accidentally smashing the delicate china?

He returned his attention to the teahouse once again, honing in on Rukia's reiatsu. It was active and alive, and maybe even a bit nervous. She seemed to be just as anxious as Ichigo felt. With a start, he realized that she couldn't sense his spiritual pressure due to his cloak. He was tempted to take it off, and see if she noticed his presence, but the air was chill. No, it might be better if she saw him with her own eyes.

He steadied himself, but his hands were shaking. He took a look at his soul reaper uniform, noting how it was rather bland in comparison to every else's garb. Even the servants were better dressed than him.

' _Will she be angry? Will she try to fight me, or throw me out?_ ' He wasn't sure, but with each step he took towards the teahouse, thoughts like these became more and more prevalent. He ascended the stairs, coming to a rest before the doorway. He was shaking, and sweat beaded his brow. He'd never felt so nervous, not even when facing down against Yhwach. He could face certain death with a smile, but the idea of meeting Rukia again made his legs feel like jello.

"For goodness sake, why are you just standing outside?!" Rukia's called through the door. He heard loud, angry stomping, and before he could knock, the door was thrown open. Rukia stood there, but the anger slid off of her face, leaving behind a look of shock that made Ichigo's heart stop.

"Ichigo? What are you doing here?"

"Hey Rukia." He shook himself mentally, temporarily stunned by how beautiful the soul reaper looked. "I guess I was invited. Can I come in?"

Her eyes were as wide as the moon as she stood to the side to let Ichigo into the tea house. Dozens of servants bustled this way and that. Some were putting up decorations. Others were brewing tea. Some were carting large amounts of baked goods in from the kitchens, or setting up placemats for the visitors. At the end of the teahouse was a large table, with several people hunched over it. At the head of the table was the man whom had delivered the message to Rukia in Karakura town. He wore his usual navy robes and silver circlet, and his hair was braided just as it had been before.

"C'mon," Rukia said, taking Ichigo by the hand and pulling him away from the door. She led him to a secluded corner, well out of the way of the hubbub before gesturing for him to take a seat. He did so, leaning his back against the wall as Rukia got to her knees and clasped her hands in her lap.

She was wearing a fantastic red kimono with golden flower patters. It looked marvelous on her, with accentuated curves and fine golden embroidery, but her frown was much more concerning to Ichigo.

"I didn't invite you here," Rukia said suddenly, still watching the servants in their labor, "which means that it was Hideyoshi that invited you."

"That's what Byakuya said."

"Be honest with me, Ichigo, why did you come here? We both know it wasn't because you were invited. You're dressed for war."

"Yeah, well, I'm not really sure why I came here. Byakuya just sort of scooped me up, and then I learned I had an invitation. If nothing else, I wanted to see you again."

Rukia stuffed her hands between her thighs. His words seemed true enough, but she still did not believe he had come with peaceful intentions. No, he had come to try and change Rukia's mind. They both knew it.

"I'm not abandoning my duty, Ichigo," Rukia stated flatly, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice. "I'm going through with this tea ceremony, and soon I'll be marrying Hideyoshi. You have to accept it."

The substitute shinigami smiled, though it looked more like a pained grimace.

"Rukia, why are you marrying him?"

"I have to."

"Why?"

Rukia pouted, but Ichigo did not look like he was trying to antagonize her. He wanted an answer- a real one.

"Because…" Rukia looked around to make sure no one else was listening before continuing. "The Kuchiki clan is no longer as well off as it once was. We have outstanding debts, and the dowry from my marriage will be used to settle them."

Ichigo frowned. Rukia didn't seem like she was lying. When she spoke, she kept her voice down, and with a start, Ichigo realized that she had been watching the servants almost the entire time they had been talking. She was looking at them like she was going to lose them, and worry was etched into her face.

"That makes no sense-" Ichigo began to say.

Kenichi, who was standing in the doorway, drew his blade and wrapped it against the bamboo. The keening blade brought all movement to a standstill. He sucked in a breath, and in a deep, booming voice he announced, "Lord Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku!"

Everyone bowed their heads, save Rukia and Ichigo. A strange chill swept into the room as Kenichi stepped to the side, allowing his master to enter.

"My sincerest apologies for keeping you all waiting."

The voice was as soft and cool as water, but it shook Ichigo to his very core. It was a voice that had haunted his nightmares, and made all the little hairs on the back of his neck stand at attention. He found himself frozen in place, his eyes glued to the man in the doorway.

"There's no way," Ichigo gasped.

There, upon the threshold, stood none other than Sosuke Aizen. He looked at he once did, before defecting from the Seireitei, with feathery locks of hair framing his face and spectacles. He wore a fine set of silken, star spangled navy robes that were made to resemble the night sky, replete with constellations and their names. He turned his eyes to the corner where Ichigo and Rukia sat, and the smile on his face widened.

"Ah, you must be my beloved Rukia's friend, Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm glad you could make it. I've heard so much about you."

Ichigo was immediately on his feet, but he found himself weighed down by fear. "W-what are – how are you here? This can't be…"

Aizen gave him a cold smile. "My name is Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Alright, show of hands, who saw this coming? Everyone? No one? I thought I was laying it on pretty thick. All that ominous talk about 'something not being right' and people being manipulated. I figured my use of the primaryantagonist .jpg was pretty obvious. I apologize for any errors, but I only read through this once. Oh, and I think this is the longest chapter yet.**_

 _ **Let's have another show of hands, who missed me? N-no one? Fine, well, I didn't miss you, either! I kid, I kid, you guys give me life.**_

 _ **One last poll... who among you caught that 'eyes as wide as the moon' reference? If you did, you are emo trash. But so am I, so it's cool.**_

 _ **Moving right along, this chapter helps zero in on the plot (such as it is) and reunites Ichigo and Rukia... but for better or for worse? And what's with Aizen showing up? You guys think he got an invitation to the ceremony? And why was he calling himself the lord of the Kamisaigaiku clan? Hmmmmmm.**_

 _ **Oh, and if anyone is concerned by my use of Japanese terms, please google them. That's what I did, and I don't know a lick of Japanese, so if any of the terms confuse you, it shouldn't be too hard to figure it out, though I usually do try and keep it basic. Here's to Ichigo's pre-reunion jitters, which I myself was feeling when I wrote the scene. Did you guys like this chapter? I know some reviewers think the drama is kinda blech, but I mean, what the hell are you reading for if not drama? Blood? Degenerate handholding? Talk about cheap thrills.**_

 _ **Anyway, sorry for the wait. I've been busy as hell. Nose to the grindstone and all that. See you guys in the next chapter!**_

 _ ***Music!***_

 _ **Devil-Shinedown (This song was chosen specifically for the lyric "Cause I was sent to warn you, the Devil's in the next room" which was suppose to relate to Aizen's arrival. I thought it was fitting)**_

 _ **Arrow-half*Alive (The hardest place to be is right where you are)**_

 _ **Almost-Hozier (be still my foolish heart)**_

 _ **Bonus!**_

 _ **World In My Pocket- The Unlikely Candidates (and when you look at me I believe I can see a kingdom in your eyes)**_

 _ **Thanks for reading.**_


	10. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Forget trying to move or breath, Ichigo could hardly think. No matter what, he just couldn't process the fact that Aizen was there, standing in the Kuchiki family's tea house. Whichever way he looked at it, it wasn't right. How could it be? Aizen was supposed to be locked away somewhere he could never see the light of day, or cause trouble for the Soul Society.

And yet there he stood, dressed in fine robes fit for the most esteemed and wealthy of nobles, looking much as he had before betraying the Seireitei.

Clearly, Ichigo had finally lost it. He'd snapped, and his mind had turned against him, using the ghost of his old nemesis to haunt him. But then… why was everyone else focused on Aizen, too?

Alright, so Ichigo _hadn't_ lost his marbles. Not yet, at least.

Another possibility, even more unlikely than the last, occurred to him. Could this be Aizen's long lost twin brother? Noble families were, more often than not, possessed of a much greater spiritual power than commoners. Not to mention they had several ins with the Gotei 13. The Shihouins were previously the leaders of the Stealth Force, and Byakuya was the captain of Squad Six. Soifon was a minor noble, as was Omaeda, her lieutenant. Would it be so odd for Aizen to be related to a noble family? It might begin to explain his god complex.

One freezing, self-satisfied smirk was all it took to cure Ichigo of that ridiculous notion. No one had ever managed to make him feel so small and insignificant, save one man.

This was, beyond a shadow of doubt, Sosuke Aizen.

Almost instinctively, Ichigo raised a hand and drew Zangetsu from his back. The wrapping on the blade fell away as he put the sword between himself and one of the greatest enemies the Seireitei had ever known.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Rukia asked, looking positively alarmed.

Turning to her, Ichigo replied incredulously, "You're telling me you don't see _Aizen_ standing right there?!"

She didn't answer. She didn't move. Rukia just glowered at him, holding unusually still. Surveying the rest of the tea house, Ichigo noticed that everyone, not just Rukia, had stopped moving. Some were halted mid-motion, frozen as they had diligently been carrying out their work. If it hadn't been for the crackling of fires and the steaming of the numerous tea kettles, Ichigo might have thought the entire world frozen in time.

"It's good to see you again, Ichigo," Aizen greeted him lightly.

The substitute soul reaper's neck cricked as he snapped his attention back to the man in the doorway.

"So then, it really is you," Ichigo decided.

The traitor's smile never faltered. With his spectacles on, he looked almost benevolent, but the cruel, reserved intelligence behind his eyes ruined the disguise. They spoke of plots and schemes so intricate and deeply woven that it would likely made Ichigo's head spin.

"Of course it's me. Though, these days everyone refers to me as Lord Kamisaigaiku. Shall I explain why? I can practically hear the gears turning in your head."

"No need to explain," Ichigo growled, his jaw clenching, "I think I'll just throw you back in prison and be done with you. You can't fight without your zanpakuto."

"It would be in your best interests to reconsider that course of action."

Aizen's friendly smile twitched, and for a moment, there was a twinge of annoyance in his eyes. Had Ichigo struck a nerve with his zanpakuto comment? He bit back an angry retort, frowning as he wondered why Aizen would advise him against conflict. Surely he was here for revenge against the man who'd ruined his ascent to godhood?

Then it struck Ichigo like a ton of bricks.

"If I try to attack, you'll unfreeze everyone," he guessed.

The former captain of the Fifth Division clapped slowly, the sound loud and jarring upon Ichigo's ears.

"Very perceptive of you," Aizen said, "I knew you'd figure it out. Everyone here sees me as a noble. If you attack me, you'll be punished quite severely. I thought we could have a private chat, for old time's sake. It would be a waste if, after all the trouble I've gone to, you didn't fully grasp the hopelessness of your situation."

Zangetsu rattled as Ichigo's hands shook, thought whether it was from fear or rage, he couldn't tell. He readjusted his grip as he tried to think of how he could free everyone from the hypnosis, but it was no good. All he could do was talk, so the ball was most definitely in Aizen's court.

"First and foremost, your initial assumption that I am defenseless could not be further from the truth. When the Hogyoku absorbed my Kyoka Suigetsu, it was presumed destroyed by the Seireitei. After the loss of the Hogyoku's power, my zanpakuto slowly began to return to me. I managed to summon its power after being freed from the chair during Yhwach's invasion, but I was unable to control the illusions it manifested. It's taken the better part of a year, but now it has begun reforming, and even though the blade is incomplete, I have regained control of my shikai."

From within the sleeve of his robe, Aizen produced the hilt of his sword. Without hesitation, Ichigo clamped his eyes shut tightly, only to wince when he heard Aizen's humorless laughter in his ears.

"There's no need for that," the imposter chuckled, "I have no intentions of putting you under my hypnosis. That would be detrimental to my plans."

Something in Aizen's voice made Ichigo believe him. The shinigami obviously had plans in motion to destroy Ichigo. It would be pointless for him to place him under hypnosis. He cracked an eye open, but could barely make out Aizen's silhouette, let alone his sword. He opened his eyes all the way, to find that the hilt of the sword was completely reformed. Attached to the hilt, however, w3ere barely three inches of blade.

"Do not be fooled by its appearance," the former captain warned, "the Kyoka Suigetsu does not need the entire blade to use its shikai. It's how I became the leader of the Kamisaigaiku clan. Is it all becoming clearer to you now?"

Even in shikai, the power of the Kyoka Suigetsu was terrifying. With it, Aizen could create illusions of impeccable quality to any who looked upon the blade. This is what made Ichigo indispensable to the Soul Society. Having never been exposed to the illusory powers of Aizen's sword, he was the ace up the sleeve of the Seireitei. Only he could fight Aizen on equal footing. It was nothing short of gut wrenching for Ichigo to realize that the very thing that had made him Aizen's greatest threat now left him powerless to act.

"There it is," the traitorous captain muttered, "I can see it dawning on your face. I've spent the better part of two years locked away under Division One waiting to see that expression of utter defeat. You cannot attack me, or do anything to stop this wedding without suffering the consequences of attacking a noble. I have you right where I want you… and it's all thanks to my lovely bride-to-be."

"You're lying!" Ichigo said, rage making his voice quake, "Rukia would never help you!"

"Oh, but she already has. She lured you here, didn't she? Perhaps you haven't been made aware of the situation, but I will tell you what everyone else ignored or failed to mention about becoming a substitute soul reaper. You and Rukia share a very special connection, as you have ever since she bequeathed her powers to you. A piece of her soul resides within you, and vice versa. You can feel it, can't you, Ichigo? That helpless yearning to be near her? That overwhelming desire to protect her, even at the expense of your own life? That is the piece of her soul that has melded with yours. It longs to return to her, but it cannot. It is a connection that has defied what little study has been devoted to it. It is known by many terms in as many cultures, but I believe most people refer to the phenomenon as 'soulmates.' In your blind assumption that I was defeated, and in the peace that followed Yhwach's demise, you were left to your own devices for the first time in years. I knew that you would fall in love with Rukia when peace had been reestablished. I knew that the two of you would be pulled together by the strings of fate, so I used that connection to formulate a plan, just in case I somehow lost to you. Now, however, there is nothing you can do. As long as I have Rukia, you cannot act against me without her being at risk… and the piece of her soul within you will not allow any harm to come to her."

Panic gripped Ichigo, rendering him unable to speak. Aizen had somehow managed to summarize his feelings for Rukia in a few short sentences. He would sacrifice himself for her without hesitation… but could what Aizen said about their souls be true? Ichigo supposed that it would make sense. And it would most definitely explain why he had been thinking of Rukia ever since his return to the world of the living. In fact, Rukia had been the first and only woman he'd ever really loved to such a degree.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," muttered Ichigo, trying to keep his voice from shaking.

 _'No matter what, I have to protect Rukia!'_

"Ahahaha. Come now, there's no need to be coy, Ichigo. It isn't like she can hear us. Try as you might, you cannot change the fact that your souls are intertwined in a very… intimate manner."

Ichigo wanted to say something, anything, to rebuke Aizen, but he couldn't. His breathing became rapid and uneven as the reality of his predicament closed in around him. He'd arrogantly thought that Aizen was beaten. He'd foolishly assumed that his loved ones wouldn't be targeted. And now it was too late. He'd been thoroughly outmaneuvered. With Rukia's life on the line, he couldn't do a damn thing to stop Aizen. Even if she wasn't being used as a hostage, it would still appear to everyone that Ichigo had gone mad and attacked a noble.

The small blade of the Kyoka Suigetsu might as well have been pressed against Rukia's throat. There was nothing left to do, save comply with Aizen's wishes.

"Fine then," Ichigo snarled, barely loud enough for the former captain to hear. "You win… what do you want?"

The disguised criminal frowned, tilting his head in askance. "What do you mean?"

"YOU WIN, ALRIGHT? SO WHAT DO YOU WANT?! WHAT DO I HAVE TO GIVE YOU TO ENSURE RUKIA'S SAFETY, HUH?! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"

He knew yelling wouldn't help, but Ichigo couldn't keep his voice down. Every few seconds, he side glanced at Rukia, as if making sure she was still there. The way she scowled at him made him feel as though she wouldn't approve of his bowing down to Aizen's demands, but he didn't care. Her safety was his top priority.

And all the while, Aizen's smile never wavered. His eyes shone with a hunger that seemed to feed on Ichigo's anguish.

"I want you to suffer," he replied simply. "I want you to understand that the only reason you managed to defeat me was sheer luck. You are alone now, with no Urahara to seal me away, and no way to oppose me. I want you to remember how it took every ounce of your power to halt my evolution with the Hogyoku. Compared to me, you are nothing. I will make an example of you, and remove you as an obstacle. Then I will use the resources of the Kamisaigaiku Family to renew my ascent to godhood. Once the Seireitei is under my control, the Soul King's Palace will be next."

The way Aizen spoke so calmly and matter-of-factly unnerved the substitute shinigami. In his mind's eye, he could practically see it happening. With Aizen's new position at the head of a noble family, subduing the Soul Society would be a cakewalk. And with the clan's resources at his disposal, entering the Soul King's Palace would be a non-issue. He probably wouldn't even need an Oken, as the Kamisaigaikus had originally lived in the Soul King's Palace to begin with.

Crushing weight bore down on the substitute soul reaper as he realized the complexity and futility of his plight. Aizen was right: he had been a fool to assume he'd won. Against a master manipulator, he was probably little more than a thorn in his side, or an amusing distraction. All hope was lost, and there was nothing he could do, apart from accepting his defeat and hoping Rukia would be spared.

Even if the Seireitei crumbled to dust, and Aizen became the Soul King… even if Ichigo were to suffer an eternity in Hell for daring to thwart Aizen's initial rise to power, he couldn't let Rukia die. In his heart of hearts, he knew that this was the truth.

And as the walls seemed to press in on him from all sides, he found himself slipping away….

* * *

Before he knew it, he was gone, trapped in a suffocating darkness. It was so pitch black that he could not see his hands in front of his face. Had Aizen done this to him? Was this the power of the Kyoka Suigetsu?!

A sliver of light appeared in the darkness, and Ichigo approached it, only to stop short when he saw the frighteningly familiar face waiting for him in that light.

"Hey there, Ichigo. Seeing as your stuck between a rock and a hard place, I thought I'd step in," drawled an icy, familiar tone.

It was his hollow. All too late, Ichigo realized where he must be standing. He was inside the locked room, in the deepest recesses of his mind. The hollow had taken control, and Ichigo was now the one being imprisoned.

"NO!" he screamed. "He'll kill Rukia! You have to let me out of here!"

"Sorry, Ichigo, that's not how this works. I'm sure you'll get out of here eventually. By the time you do, I bet you'll be as pale as I am! AHAHAAAA!"

"NOOO!"

The doors slammed shut on Ichigo, who beat them furiously as the hollow dusted off his hands. He watched the doors rattle on their hinges, making sure they would hold long enough for him to have a little fun before he inserted himself into the empty shell that was Ichigo's body.

"Let's get this party started," he hissed wickedly.

* * *

" ** _RRAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHH_**!"

The warbling screech of the hollow shook the teahouse, rattling kettles and shattering fine china. Aizen stared at the hollow, expressionless in the face of terror.

"So then, you've abandoned humanity to try and save her… or did I simply push you too far?"

There was no reply. The mask that quickly spread over Ichigo's face was bleached white, like a skull, with narrow eye slits and large maroon stripes that went from the forehead to the jaw. To say it appeared feral was an understatement. He threw his head back and bellowed another sonorous cry. Stowing his zanpakuto hilt back into the sleeve of his robes, Aizen undid the hypnosis that had frozen everyone in temporary stasis. All at once, the collective attentions of everyone present turned to the hollow in their midst, who very quickly took notice of all the innocent bystanders.

"AAAAAAAH!" screamed a servant, who threw several precious tea cups over her head and ran for her life.

Pandemonium broke through the calm with the shattering of priceless china. The servants all shrieked and hollered as they made for the exits. Kenichi and Kenzou drew their zanpakuto and closed in on Ichigo, slowly working their way through the stampeding servants. Rukia took a step back and reached for her sword as well, but her hand closed around thin air. She immediately cursed herself. Ever since she'd returned to the Kuchiki estate, she hadn't carried her zanpakuto, as noblewomen were rarely expected to fight, much less carry around swords.

Taking full advantage of Ichigo's power, the hollow within him activated his bankai. Spirit energy as black as night enveloped him before becoming solid, forming his sleek, high collared black robe with its frayed edges. He wore his boots and gauntlets with their crimson X-shaped guards. His undershirt and obi were a dark, bloodly red, as was the hamon of the Tensa Zangetsu, with its jagged spine. Golden irises shined from within the shadows of the mask as he drew back his arm.

"Engulf and dominate, Sen'neki Sakeme!" Kenzou cried, slashing his zanpakuto through the air as a tidal wave rushed forth.

"Hurl your thunderbolts, Tenjin Ikari!" grumbled Kenichi.

The smell of ozone and the crack of thunder rumbled through the Kuchiki Estate as the big, burly man levelled his sparking nodachi at the hollow.

The frothing tidal wave was charged with lightning, which would no doubt incapacitate anyone the water touched. Rukia froze, unable to move as Ichigo's horrifically monstrous reiatsu pressed upon her. It was like she was standing in a world of darkness, and as much as she wanted to move, she was frozen to the floorboards.

" ** _GRAAAAAGH_**!"

With a single slash of its blade, the hollow cut clear through the tidal wave, sending an arc of black energy at the two elite guards in the process. They dodged the attack, and it cut through the tea house wall, flying out into the garden before smashing against the side of the mansion.

Kazue, the third and youngest member of the guards, elbowed his way past the fleeing estate staff as he made his way into the teahouse, only to find Kenzou and Kenichi both recovering from the last attack, and that damned substitute soul reaper wearing a hollow mask as he held Rukia hostage. Lord Kamisaigaiku had not moved, and was staring quite intently at the hollow, almost as if he were intrigued.

"My lord, please stand back, I can handle this!" Kazue called, unsheathing his zanpakuto as he prepared to recite the mantra that would awaken his sword's shikai.

"No, that's fine. I will entertain our guest. He seems quite focused upon me," Hideyoshi said, unfazed by the hollow's tremendous power.

So it was: the substitute soul reaper kept its eyes and blade trained on Lord Kamisaigaiku. He stepped to the side, shielding Rukia from the loving, comforting gaze of her betrothed.

 _'This fiend had some nerve!_ ' Kazue thought savagely.

The nobleman drew back the right sleeve of his robe, revealing a large silver bracer. The instant it was uncovered, the hollow shrank away from it, hissing and growling.

Rukia tried to get around Ichigo, but it was no use. He thrust out an arm and kept her behind him. Why had he suddenly turned into a hollow? What could have caused this? And why the hell was he keeping Rukia away from Kamisaigaiku?!

' _Does he somehow think that taking me away from here will change my mind?_ ' wondered Rukia.

The silver bracer on Hideyoshi's arm flared. The light it emitted was like looking at the sun through a thick layer of storm clouds: silvery, translucent, and blinding. The light struck Ichigo, and his robes steamed and sizzled. He let loose another cry, like that of a wounded animal, before lunging forward.

Before he could land a blow on Aizen, the bracer glowed ever more brightly, and a transparent rectangular shield of light stopped the blow. The hollow pushed against the shield with all his might, but Kamisaigaiku planted his feet and remained firm.

" ** _GrrrAAAAGH_**!"

The hollow roared, and pitch black reishi fired skyway, blasting a hole in the ceiling of the tea house. Aizen was forced back, inch by inch, until he was finally overcome and thrown from the room, crashing through the wall as if it were nothing. He recovered quickly enough to land on his feet, skidding a little on the snow covered lawn. The hollow dove out after him, his robes billowing as he screeched for blood.

"Lady Rukia, are you alright?!" Kenzou asked, brushing the dust from his shihakusho as he inspected Rukia for injuries.

She didn't answer. Wrenching her arm from his grip, she raced to the doorway, only to gasp when she saw the ruins of the garden. Ichigo and Lord Kamisaigaiku had only been fighting for a minute or so, but the destruction was already overwhelming. The snow had melted from the force of two incredibly powerful reiatsu's clashing, leaving the lush emerald lawns charred and black. Flower beds were destroyed as Ichigo's attacks ricocheted off of the Ward of the Spirit King, a Sacred Treasure of the Kamisaigaiku Family. Storm clouds gathered overhead, swirling as if they might form a cyclone. Thunderclaps mingled with the sound of explosive spiritual energies being released. With each swing of the Tensa Zangetsu, unseen shockwaves of pure force cracked the pillars lining the gardens and damaged walls of the mansion. The Ward of the Spirit King seemed to hold its own, even in the face of Ichigo's awesome power. Hideyoshi did not look even slightly perturbed by the danger he faced. He smiled confidently, deflecting each blow as expertly as a shield wielder could hope to.

Rukia gripped the doorway, driving her fingernails into the bamboo so hard that one of them broke and began bleeding profusely. Despair tightened its cold vice on her heart as she stared at Hideyoshi, her betrothed, and Ichigo, the man she cared for more than anyone, do battle in what had once been a tranquil, serene garden.

"Damn you, Ichigo. Why would you…" Her question died in her throat. She already knew the answer. He had hollowfied because of her. To think that her attempt to save the Kuchiki family from bankruptcy would have such a negative reaction hurt her more than words could describe, but never in her most horrifying night terrors would she imagine Ichigo going berserk because he loved her. Could this even be called love? Rukia didn't know, but looking out over the dead flowers of the garden made her feel as though it were quite fitting.

' _I guess he isn't as mature as I had thought_.' Rukia realized, her breaking more with each passing moment. Blood dripped from her hand, slowly sliding down the bamboo as fear took its toll on her.

In all of the Soul Society, few people could boast a reiryoku as immense as Ichigo's. Fewer still could claim to have such raw destructive power at their disposal. His was skill born of necessity. With each enemy he fought, he learned and grew, gradually overcoming each of them. His lack of formal training and instinctual fighting style made him a difficult combatant to face. Even so, Rukia was scared for him.

Lord Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku was on par with Ichigo in terms of raw power… or at least, that's how it seemed to her. After spending all of his time in the Spirit King's Palace, his spirit energy was astronomically high. Unlike Ichigo, however, Lord Kamisaigaiku was not hindered in his ability to control his reiatsu. Whereas Ichigo's power was reflected on the mangled state of the Kuchiki mansion, Lord Kamisaigaiku had done very little damage to his surroundings. His skill was not only natural, one could almost say it was god given. His family had been at the disposal of the Spirit King for generations, passing down only the greatest techniques. While Rukia had never actually seen Lord Hideyoshi fight up until that moment, she had heard stories from his subordinates about his greatest triumphs. From what they had said, he was the greatest combatant of the Kamisaigaiku clan, and the most powerful of any of their nobles. Compared to Ichigo's brutal ferocity, he was as serene and calm as an ocean. It was only a matter of time before he took advantage of an opening and killed Ichigo.

"Stop," Rukia begged, much too quietly for anyone to hear. "Please, Ichigo. Stop this. You can't beat him."

Meanwhile, the hollow grew angrier with each passing moment. The light of the Ward on Aizen's wrist seemed to burn at it like fire. It felt like its skin was peeling off from the heat, and it was difficult to strike at Aizen while the hollow was blinded.

"I am the Ghost of the Spirit King," Aizen told the hollow, "I act in the shadows to root out threats to his majesty… and when I find subversion, I illuminate the darkness with purifying light!"

The shield flared brightly, stunning the hollow. Aizen was immediately upon him, the shield pulled back and ready to deliver a powerful bash. The hollow could only stagger, blinking the bright spots from his vision as Aizen drove the shield into his chest and threw him skyward. Pieces of broken hollow mask trailed off after his limp body, but Aizen was not done. He raised a hand, pointing at Ichigo, and incanted, "Sacred Hado One Hundred and Seven, Kamisen Hakka."

A thin line of light shot towards Ichigo like a laser beam, but the heat and light it gave off was so intense that everyone had to look away. Rukia could smell burning hair and wildfires as she ducked behind the wall of the tea house. She'd never even heard of a Hado greater than Ninety Nine, and now she saw why. Its power was overwhelming. Then she realized that all of that power was focused upon Ichigo.

Her jaw dropped, and she flung herself from the tea house, only to be caught around the waist by Kenichi, who held her back. An explosion rent the air, and a ball of fire like a miniature sun engulfed Ichigo. Rukia screamed, calling out for him as she fought Kenichi, but no one could hear her over the sound of roaring fire. Her vision was filled with dark spots that wouldn't go away. The skin on her face grew stiff and tight. If she hadn't known any better, it might have been the spirit of Genryusai Yamamoto reincarnated.

Then the blinding light that had engulfed the substitute soul reaper slowly began to darken, becoming black, as if being corrupted. It exploded once more, but this time it vanished, revealing Ichigo. Half of his mask was gone. His shihakusho was in tatters, but the hatred and power emanating from him was still so powerful that Rukia felt terrified all over again. She'd never seen him look so murderous before. Not even when fighting for his life.

" ** _Im…pos…tor_**." The hollow groaned, as if unfamiliar with the working of a human voice box.

Only Aizen seemed to hear Ichigo. He looked up at the hollowfied soul reaper with disdain.

"The beast speaks," he noted dryly.

The hollow took a few deep breaths, having been deprived of air while trapped inside the inferno.

 ** _"IMPOSTOOOOOOR_**!" the hollow roared, aiming the Tensa Zangetsu at Aizen.

Black spirit energy swirled around the blade of the sword, and the flame-like design on the hamon came to life as he gathered every last bit of energy he had. Aizen kicked off from the ground and rose to meet him in aerial combat.

"Well, Nanao, it looks like we got here just in time."

Rukia turned, only to find herself facing the Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Shunsui Kyoraku, and his lieutenant, Nanao. The commander looked much as he always had, with a woman's kimono draped over his haori and shihakusho, and his hair done in a loose ponytail, held in place by two ornate hairpins. His eyepatch seemed to lend a seriousness to his persona that he hadn't possessed before, turning him from a lax captain into a taciturn Captain-Commander. His attitude, however, remained completely unchanged.

While he was supposed to be an honored guest of the wedding, Rukia was not sure he had even been invited to the tea ceremony.

"It would seem so, head captain." Nanao answered dutifully.

She pushed her glasses further up her nose, eyeing Ichigo as he battered against the Ward on Aizen's wrist.

Kyoraku went to the doorway, tilting up the brim of his hat. He gave a low whistle before turning back to his lieutenant.

"What do you think, Nanao? What's our strategy?"

"If you are looking to capture him alive, I think you'll need to use your bankai. First or second stage."

Kyoraku winced, as if he'd been stung by a bee. It wouldn't be the first time they had mistaken the flower patterns on his kimono for the real thing.

"Geez, second stage? Really? I'm not sure if you think I'm weak, or Ichigo is just that strong! I don't wanna accidentally kill him, you know."

Nanao came to stand by her captain, frowning up at the substitute soul reaper.

"You can sense his reiatsu just as well as I can. You know how powerful he is, otherwise you would've sent someone else to deal with him. In order to capture him in one go, you'll actually need to put in a little effort, sir."

The Captain-Commander heaved a sigh, pouting at his subordinate.

"I get the feeling that you're embarrassed by me. Is it because I started referring to you as my niece in public?"

"Sir, Kurosaki is attacking a nobleman. Now is not the time for family matters."

"So cold…" Shunsui noted, a wry smile playing across his lips as he drew his swords.

"Nanao, please make sure everyone is out of the vicinity. I think I have the perfect play for this occasion, but I don't want anyone getting hurt."

Nanao took a knee, throwing an arm across her chest. "Yes, Captain-Commander!"

She departed with a flicker, using her flash step as she combed the surrounding cloisters and halls for anyone who might be caught in the radius of Kyoraku's bankai. It only took a few moments before she returned.

"The hallways are cleared, sir. The only people left are you, me, Kurosaki, Lord Hideyoshi, his retainers, and his betrothed."

Rukia felt a lump form in her throat as Nanao glanced at her. Something in the lieutenant's gaze seemed unnervingly cold and calculating, as if she knew the true reason behind Ichigo's loss of his senses, and subsequent hollowfication. The way she had referred to Rukia as 'his betrothed' felt not only dehumanizing, but unfair. Was she still upset that Rukia had left the Shinigami Women's Association?!

"That was quick," Kyoraku noted, still watching the battle that was going on in the sky, which had grown immeasurably dark. "Your shunpo is improving rapidly. At this rate, you'll be faster than me, soon. I'd expect no less from my little Nanao."

"Sir…" Nanao said.

"Yeah?"

"Please shut up."

"You're blushing," Shunsui grinned impishly. He did not wait for a response. Leaping from the deck of the tea house, Kyoraku kicked off from the air and rose to meet Ichigo and Hideyoshi in battle.

"No one leave the teahouse," Nanao commanded, her face still tinged with red, "I'm erecting a barrier that will protect us from the brunt of the Captain-Commander's bankai. If you leave, I cannot guarantee your safety."

A strange buzz filled the air, and a dome of glowing translucent energy slowly encapsulated the teahouse. Strange runes ran along the margins of the barrier, though no one could understand what they read.

"But Lord Kamisaigaiku is still out there!" Kazue said, marching up to Nanao and frowning down at her.

The red returned to her face as Nanao took notice of the young blonde man's features. He was devilishly handsome, and lean like a runner, but it was clear he took very good care of himself, physically. His overlong hair gave him the look of a rebel, but his emerald eyes burned with such passion that Nanao felt something stir within her, something she had thought long dead and buried.

She shook herself mentally and returned his venomous glare with twice the effectiveness. Kazue took a step back.

"The Captain-Commander's bankai is not something to take lightly," she promised. "Using it with us nearby goes against every fiber of his being, but in this instance he has little choice if he is going to save Lord Kamisaigaiku and capture the substitute soul reaper."

"He should just kill that bastard!" Kazue snapped. "The man has been nothing but a nuisance! First he scorns the good graces of the man who invited him here, and then attacks him out of pure jealousy!"

Kazue heard angry footsteps behind him. He whipped about, expecting an enemy, only to be struck hard across the face by Rukia. He stumbled and hit the floor, looking flabbergasted. His lip was bleeding, and one of his teeth had been knocked out. Rukia's hand shook, still clenched in a fist. Her knuckles had been dislocated, judging from her inability to open her hand, but she didn't care. The pain in her heart far surpassed any physical pain she had experienced.

"Shut the hell up!" she said shrilly, her eyes wide and misty.

All at once, Nanao understood something of the situation Rukia was in. Arranged political marriages were not uncommon, but from Rukia's reaction to Kazue's words, it was clear to Nanao that she still had feelings for Ichigo. The lieutenant stepped forward, ignoring the pained expression on Rukia's face. Putting an arm around the petite woman's shoulders, Nanao led her over to a tea mat and poured her a cup. Rukia shook her head at the proffered mug, only to give in to Nanao's piercing scowl, which was effective enough to get Shunsui Kyoraku off his ass. She took the cup and drank deeply, shuddering as Nanao looked to the doorway.

' _It's better she doesn't see this_ ,' Nanao thought sadly. ' _The head captain's bankai isn't something that anyone should have to witness used on a loved one.'_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Here's a piece of advice, when writing, don't do it when you're ridiculously tired, cause then all ideas are good ideas, and proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation don't even exist anymore.**

 **After that last cliffhanger of a chapter, I wanted to get this out as fast as possible. I suppose a little over a week isn't too bad of a wait, though.**

 **Unfortunately, I had a little trouble editing this one, as I am pretty tired, and something about that last paragraph just irks me... but whatever, I'll fix it some other time, when I have the capacity and willpower to do so.**

 **And dumbass me forgot to write down the translations for the Kenichi and Kenzou's zanpakuto. Kenichi's is a lightning type, and Kenzou's is a water type. Also MORE HOLLOW ICHIGO, FUCK YEAH, OH SHIT, AND HEAD CAPTAIN KYORAKU TOO! No joke, the Captain Commander is probably one of my favorite characters. For real, he's just so chill, I love it. Like, he doesn't give a damn, he's fine so long as he's sippin sake and soaking up the sun. In any case, I suppose I should include a couple refreshers in Japanese for those of you who don't know the terms. Let's see...  
**

 **haori- captain's coat**

 **shihakusho- soul reaper uniform**

 **Kamisaigaiku- loosely translated means god/disaster/ward (which ties in with the whole Ward of the Spirit King/Ghost of the Spirit King thing)**

 **hamon- the folds in the steel of the sword, usually wave-like in design**

 **tsuba- guard**

 **shunpo- flash step**

 **Kamisen Hakka- its a spell I made up. I'm assuming Aizen learned it when assuming the identity of Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku. Literally means 'divine immolation'**

 **If there's any I missed or incorrectly translated.. take it up with Human Resources.**

 **But yeah, most of this fic was Aizen monologueing. In case you couldn't tell, my favorite part of the story is when the villain lays out his evil plans. It's so much fun to write.**

 ***Music!***

 **Impostor-Red (because... y'know what, I'm not gonna explain this one)**

 **Devilish-Chase Atlantic (not sure why, but it reminds me of Ichigo's hollow)**

 **Shadow and Soul-Red (honestly, if a band could make music for Bleach, it would be either Red or Breaking Benjamin)**

 **Fly Down-Stephen (something a little more chill)**

 **I'm gonna crash. Thanks for reading.**


	11. Defeat: Corruption of a Sound Consience

Up in the air, high over the Kuchiki estate, it was much easier to estimate the enormous fortune of the Kuchiki family. Their sprawling estate went on for acres in all directions. They even owned a good portion of the forest that lay to the east, which had belonged to their family since Ginrei Kuchiki had bought it as a conservation effort and engagement gift for his wife, who was a botanical archivist.

All that wealth and history was lost on Ichigo's hollow, who struck at Aizen with the ferocity of a wild animal.

" ** _Getsuga TENSHOU_**!"

A blade of black reishi flung itself at Aizen, who tilted his shield and sent the attack spiraling off towards the forest. An explosion met their ears, and a great swathe of trees fell, all severed by the attack.

"And now you're destroying their forest?" Aizen asked mockingly. "My, my, you'll be lucky to escape the death penalty after this."

The only response was an inhuman, blood chilling howl, resonating from the hollow's frustration. That same Getsuga Tenshou had been enough to temporarily defeat Yhwach, though he had immediately undid his death. How was it that Aizen's shield could deflect such a powerful attack?

The appearance of another extremely powerful spiritual pressure alerted both Ichigo and Aizen. Shunsui Kyoraku, the Head Captain of the Gotei 13, hovered in midair next to the nobleman and the hollow. With each of their positions, they formed a perfect triangle in the skies.

"Good evening Lord Hideyoshi, Ichigo. Or is it still afternoon? It's awfully dark out, so I can't really tell." The Captain-Commander scratched his chin, looking perplexed for a moment before remembering why he had interrupted their battle in the first place.

"Ah, right! Sorry, I got a little lost in my own thoughts. Now then, Ichigo… what exactly are you doing here? I thought we had a deal, remember? You were going to take some time to get your life back on track, enjoy yourself, live a little! You promised me you would graduate before you came back here, to give your spirit energy time to temper. Instead, you're right back here, causing a ruckus. Do you have any idea how much paperwork Nanao is gonna make me do because of this?"

The hollow could not look more confused. Beneath its mask, its amber eyes were as round as coins. It was hard to tell if he had even understood a word Shunsui had said.

"If I may, Head Captain… I believe this young man is distraught. I know he considers my lovely Rukia to be a very close friend. Perhaps this is the desperate act of a troubled young man terrified of losing someone precious to him?"

Shunsui narrowed his eyes. Ichigo had never been the sort of guy to be scared of change. That said, it was certainly hard to gauge his feelings for Rukia. The two of them had been connected at the hip, save when Rukia had been imprisoned, and when Ichigo had lost his spirit powers. Love could make the greatest of men look like fools, and desperation would only serve to fuel that pyre.

 _'Oh, to be young and in love,_ ' Kyoraku thought, smirking to himself as he tilted the brim of his hat down.

Aizen waited for something to happen, but Kyoraku just stood there, looking quite unaffected by the incredibly tense situation. Ichigo was still confused, though he seemed to be recovering from his surprise. The impostor was about to point this out when Kyoraku posed a question.

"Say, Kamisaigaiku, were you aware of the fact that there are three distinct hollowfications a soul reaper can experience?"

Aizen, taken aback by the odd line of questioning, knit his brow and answered in character.

"I can't say that I am very knowledgeable when it comes to hollows. My experience with them is quite limited. Even more so with shinigami who possess hollow powers."

"Well, it's actually a fairly recent discovery," Shunsui said casually, "I've had an awful lot of resources devoted to the study of these unique soul reapers, thanks to the combined efforts of Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Shinji Hirako-"

" ** _RRRAAAAAAWWWWWWWWGGHHHH_**!"

It seemed Ichigo had had enough of being ignored. He bellowed violently before rearing back with the Tensa Zangetsu, poised to slash both Kyoraku and Kamisaigaiku out of the sky. As one, the Captain-Commander and nobleman raised their hands, pointing at Ichigo.

"Bakudo 61, Rikujokoro!"

Rods of light burst from the hollow's midsection, freezing him in place mid swing.

"Well, the first two types of hollowfication are simple. One type is willing, and the other is unwilling. The latter, however, has two different sub-types," Kyoraku continued, as if nothing had happened, "One unwilling hollowfication sees the shinigami wielding hollow powers, though this seems to stem from the shinigami's own personal 'dark side'."

"And what of the other?"

"The second type is more of the opposite," Shunsui explained, glancing at Ichigo, "it's when the hollow almost completely overtakes the shinigami, becoming feral and unresponsive to civilized conversation. Unless I'm mistaken, that's most likely what we're dealing with. The real question is what could have caused such a transformation? In most cases, there needs to be a life or death scenario before the hollow can assume control."

A strange hiss interrupted his words, and Kyoraku turned to find that the Bakudo on Ichigo was rapidly deteriorating. The spirit energy that comprised the bindings turned black and flecked away, like rust corroding metal. The hollow was now able to move its head, and was staring quite intently at the Head Captain who had denied him his prey.

Clenching his hands, the hollow called forth every store of power it had, drawing from its deepest reserves as the beast within was released. It closed its eyes, breathing heavily. The mask, which had slowly been deteriorating, began to reform, now growing horns, and completely covering Ichigo's head. The bankai shihakusho, which was as black as the night sky, was fading, as if it had been submerged in bleach. It became white, with great patches of red fur lining the sleeves and collar that gave the ensemble a barbaric appearance. Ichigo's hair grew longer as well, reaching his lower back.

"Hmm. This is unprecedented," Shunsui said, his voice now touched with an edge that hadn't been there before.

* * *

From within Ichigo's inner world, the hollow focused, meditating as it drew upon a power it hadn't used since returning to Ichigo. The words that came to mind and flashed behind his eyelids seemed to glow, as if splattered on a wall with glowing red paint… or was it blood? Quietly, the hollow spoke those words aloud.

"Vasto Lorde!" the hollow proclaimed as his eyes snapped open.

And just like that, the skyscrapers that stretched into infinity all around him began to shatter and crumble, with great cracks spidering across the concrete as the hollow's spiritual pressure grew even stronger.

* * *

In the physical world, Ichigo's black reiatsu crackled to life, and the last remnants of the bakudo shattered as easily as glass before falling back to the earth. Wasting no time, the hollow lunged for Lord Kamisaigaiku, who raised his Ward and braced for the impact.

His confident smile vaporized, however, for the Tensa Zangetsu, which had previously glanced off of the Ward, pierced the shield and slid home, driving in right up to the hilt. The blade of the sword was mere inches from Aizen's face, and the flickering red flame-shaped hamon seemed to glow the color of blood, as if it could sense how close it were to severing his flesh.

Try thought the hollow might, he could not pull Zangetsu free of the Ward, no matter how hard he struggled. When his desperate yanking failed him, the hollow began to look for alternatives. It wrapped its clawed hand around the corner of the Ward, ignoring the sizzling of its own searing flesh as it slowly but surely pulled the Ward away from Aizen.

'Where did all of this strength come from?' the false nobleman wondered, his eyes wide as he found his own boundless power being overcome by the hollowfied substitute soul reaper.

The hollow growled, a shudder running through its body as black ichor ran from beneath its fingers. There was virtually nothing separating Ichigo and Kamisaigaiku, and the nobleman was so disturbed that he could hardly think of the right spell for the situation.

Salvation came in the form of a shadow that appeared behind Ichigo, which held aloft two wickedly sharp blades.

"Bankai! Katen Kyōkotsu: Futatsu Tamashī Monogatari!"

In the instant that Kyoraku's reiatsu flared and his bankai was unleashed, the hollow lost interest in Kamisaigaiku. The captain commander brought his swords down on the hollow, the hazy outline of a smiling woman draped across his shoulders as he struck. There was no spray of blood, as one might expect. The blade seemed to ignore the flesh and bone of its target altogether, aiming instead for the hollow's psyche.

"Act One," Kyoraku and the woman said in unison, "Betrayal of an Adulterous Lover."

* * *

On one hand, Ichigo was now free of the room that he had been imprisoned within.

On the other, his inner world, which had been fine minutes ago, now lay in ruins. Shattered glass and broken pieces of concrete and rubble went on as far as the eye could see. There were no signs of the hollow, and Ichigo couldn't even sense his malevolent doppelganger's reiatsu. Even so, something was amiss. Ichigo knew it. Something was… off.

With a start, he realized that everything seemed grey, as if the color had been sucked right out of his surroundings. A keen sense of melancholy draped itself across his shoulders like a cloak of despair; weighing him down and causing his shoulders to slump. Panicked alarms went off in his head as he stared out at the desolation. Could this great sadness be caused by the destruction of his inner world? Or was there more too it?

Putting that thought aside, Ichigo took a step, and his foot crunched on broken glass. When he looked down, he noted that the glass was uniquely shiny and bright, unlike everything else he looked at. Bending at the knee, Ichigo crouched and picked up a shard of glass about the size of a CD. Images moved within it, as if shadows were flickering across its surface. Looking around, Ichigo saw all of the broken glass on the ground was shining in a similar fashion. The glass, as far as he could tell, was the only source of light and color, so Ichigo tilted the shard in his hand back and forth, trying to focus on the images within it.

But what he saw brought forth hot, bitter tears and made him clench the glass shard so tightly that the edges bit into his flesh and sent rivulets of blood dripping down his arm.

He saw Rukia, dressed in clothes from the world of the living. The wall behind her was painted a color he recognized almost instantly. She was standing in his room, in the Kurosaki clinic. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, and her posture was slumped. She carried an air of nervousness about her that put Ichigo on edge.

The adopted Kuchiki looked a bit older than she was now, and her hair was a bit longer. The more Ichigo looked at her, the more he found the image becoming real, until he could no longer distinguish between his inner world, and the image of Rukia reflected upon the shattered windows all around him.

* * *

 _He stood in the Kurosaki Clinic, in his bedroom. Rukia, the love of his life, with whom he'd made some of his best and more cherished memories, stood before him. Ichigo wasn't sure how, but he could sense that they had been together and happy for years. So then, why was he so anxious? And why was Rukia acting so strangely?_

 _"I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm so sorry… but I'm not in love with you anymore."_

 _The ominous feeling in Ichigo's chest redoubled upon itself, turning into a painful tightness. The way Rukia had been behaving suddenly made sense._

 _Sucking in a shaky breath, Ichigo asked, "Who is he?"_

 _Rukia froze, looking as though she'd been struck by a rogue bolt of lightning. She met Ichigo's eye for a fraction of a second before turning away, her guilt making it too hard to look directly at him._

 _"It's Renji."_

 _Ichigo ran his dry tongue across his lips, preparing to ask the one question he never thought he would have to ask of the woman he had loved with every fiber of his being._

 _"Did you… did you sleep with him?"_

 _In lieu of an answer, Rukia bit her lower lip, and her chin began to wobble. Ichigo immediately knew what was coming, and he felt his legs turn into jelly._

 _"Yes," she whispered._

* * *

Like a video tape rewinding, the scene blurred and warped, replaying that devastating moment again and again on an infinite loop. Each time Ichigo witnessed that scene, it chipped away at his resolve. Every time it began again, he had no choice but to wait for Rukia's answer, consumed by the dread of her forthcoming betrayal.

Ichigo opened his mouth in a soundless howl of pain and frustration, so absorbed in the suffering of it all that he nearly forgot it was an illusion. Darkness pressed in on him from all sides, threatening to engulf him as the light behind his eyes faded. Tendrils of darkness wrapped around his limbs, which shook and convulsed. Strangled gasps escaped his throat as the icy cold shadows embraced him, forcing the air from his lungs as he struggled to breathe.

An image of Rukia's stern expression flashed in his mind, and he felt the illusion's power over him lessen. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, he focused on that image, and a flood of memories engulfed him like a tidal wave.

Rukia was betrothed! To Aizen!

That singular thought made his blood boil in his veins, but it didn't end there. He recalled his argument with Rukia, and the pain that had been plastered on her face, which he had ignored because of his reckless anger. He remembered the moment they had met, and the desperation in her eyes when she had broken the law and given Ichigo her shinigami powers. Every interaction they'd had leading up to that moment raced through his mind like someone had dumped a box full of photos onto the floor.

The darkness that had threatened to engulf him moments ago stopped, held in check by Ichigo's fond memories. A small, sad smile lit up features, and the shadows began to recede.

In a world fraught with danger, he and Rukia had stood fast against hordes of evil. Back to back, they had weathered every storm, and overcome every opponent and obstacle. And now, for better or for worse, they would always be a part of each other's lives. It was inevitable, considering how often they had placed their lives in each other's hands.

The dull, bleak atmosphere of the substitute soul reaper's inner world changed, becoming vibrant and colorful. The cloak of despair that had fallen across his shoulders was lifted, and he stood, tall and proud against all adversity. Skyscrapers lifted themselves from the ground and reassembled in record time, leaving not even a speck of rubble out of place. The malevolent darkness that had been slowly retreating was gathered through sheer force of will, and abruptly pushed back behind the immense, heavy double doors that Ichigo kept locked. With a bone rattling BOOM, the doors slammed shut, jarring him out of his inner world, and back to reality.

* * *

The cup of tea that Nanao had forced into Rukia's hands had been refilled and drained several times, but did nothing to help with her nerves.

Her hands shook so badly that the cup rattled against the saucer until she set it aside and clasped her hands in her lap. The sounds of battle had lessened somewhat, but Rukia could still keenly sense the spiritual pressures of Hideyoshi, Kyoraku, and Ichigo. With how powerful the three of them were, it was like looking at three stars gleaming against a blank expanse of night sky. Two of these stars were bright and magnificent. The third, however, was dark, unnatural, and malignant. It was the reiatsu of Ichigo, the most compassionate, caring man Rukia had ever known. It scared her to think that his compassion could turn so bitter and angry, corrupting his conscience and creating a monster.

Then, as if the Sprit King himself had flipped a switch, the dark star that was Ichigo's spiritual pressure vanished.

Rukia was on her feet in an instant, elbowing her way between Kenzou and Kenichi, who were watching the battle from the doorway. She took one step out of the door when an arm caught her around the waist. This time, it was Nanao, who refused to let her go.

"The Captain-Commander's bankai is active," she insisted, gesturing at the barrier around the tea house, which had begun showing signs of strain. "If you leave, you'll be caught in its effects!"

Rukia shivered. She knew that Kyoraku's bankai was considered something of a taboo. It was why her former captain, Juushiro Ukitake, had always defended Shunsui Kyoraku in battle.

She remembered asking her former captain about his staunch loyalty to Kyoraku, and his determination to never see him release his bankai.

* * *

 _They had been sitting in Ukitake's study, going over reports as they sipped herbal tea and breathed in calming incense. Even so, the answer she'd gotten still chilled her bones, and made her break out in goosebumps._

 _"Captain Kyoraku's bankai isn't really suitable for polite conversation," her captain had told her, smiling softly._

 _She had pressed him, due to her curious nature, until he had finally deigned to give her some insight as to the scope of power commanded by the former Eight Division captain._

 _"As a member of the Kuchiki clan, you are no doubt an avid reader, correct?" Ukitake asked._

 _Confused, Rukia nodded, her brow knitting as she tried to figure out what reading had to do with Kyoraku's zanpakuto._

 _Juushiro smiled, "Then imagine, if you will, that you could bring a story to life. Any story you like."_

 _All at once, Rukia's mind was filled with endless possibilities. Any story she liked? She could summon treasures of untold wealth, and create objects of great power! She could control time, and space. Reality itself would be no match for her might!_

 _"I'd be unstoppable," she realized, her voice soft as she found herself caught up in the thrill of such a power._

 _Her captain raised a finger and said, "Now, what if your powers would not let you manifest any of those things, accept those that would cause harm?"_

 _Pulled from her daydream, Rukia felt her face go hot._

 _"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."_

 _"Pretend that you can only manifest stories that cause other people harm," Ukitake said quietly. "Imagine that your immense powers could only be used to incapacitate or kill an opponent. You can bring any story to life, and force your enemies to suffer every agony that the character in the story feels… but only if it can take a life in return."_

 _Suddenly, the lieutenant could appreciate why Kyoraku would not wish to use such a power. She had read plenty of timeless tragedies, tales of great battles, and dozens of violent 'whodunnits.' In a book, it was all well and good, but to have a grisly murder, or a maudlin suicide come to life before her very eyes was another matter entirely. And the power to make such stories real seemed borderline sinister, if not downright unholy._

 _"That is the nature of Captain Shunsui's bankai. As I said, it is not really the sort of thing you speak of in polite conversation. Still, the most frightening aspect, in my opinion, does not lie in the nature of his power. It is how a man who seems so peaceful and carefree can destroy you in any number of horrific and imaginative ways. When it comes to killing, his abilities are practically limitless. You would almost think it was his fate to become a shinigami captain."_

* * *

Juushiro had laughed after that: a strained, worried laugh that Rukia had taken to mean that he had told her too much. She had remembered having nightmares afterward, as well.

So when Ichigo's body fell from the sky, it was no wonder that Nanao was the only thing keeping her on her feet.

"NOOO!" Rukia screamed, tears streaming from her eyes as Ichigo hit the ground with a sickening crunch.

Upon impact, his mask shattered. His bankai shihakusho was torn to pieces, leaving him bare-chested. His eyes were dim and unseeing, and his arm seemed to be bent at an odd angle. Nanao clapped a hand over Rukia's eyes, but it was far too late. The image of Ichigo's lifeless corpse had already imprinted itself upon the backs of her eyelids. She fell from Nanao's clutches, hitting the floor as she choked and sobbed, releasing every pent up emotion that had been welling up inside of her for days.

Kenichi and Kenzou quietly averted their eyes, leaving Rukia with Nanao. From the sky, two figures came floating down. Kyoraku rushed to Ichigo's side, only to freeze when he saw his broken form. The sick, twisted configuration of Ichigo's broken arm seemed to coincide with the twist in the Head Captain's gut.

"Dammit," he mumbled, "this wasn't supposed to happen."

Hideyoshi reunited with the earth as well, coming to a halt next to the Captain-Commander. He did not look very concerned with the tragic turn of events, and he kept his Ward active.

"He's not dead," Kamisaigaiku announced, noting how Ichigo's spirit energy was gradually increasing.

It was slow at first, and so faint that he could barely sense it, but Aizen narrowed his eyes, watching the body carefully for any signs of life. A finger twitched. The back muscles spasmed. The lungs began to function once more.

Ichigo's reiatsu glowed red at first before turning pitch black, surrounding him in an aura of shadows. The shadow rose unsteadily to its feet, taking a wide stance. Thrusting out a hand, the Tensa Zangetsu was ripped from the ground where it had fallen and reunited with his hand. The chain on the sword sprang to life, wrapping itself tightly about Ichigo's arm. The shadows converged, crawling across Ichigo's skin before coming to a halt on his chest.

The darkness vanished, revealing a large hole in the hollow's sternum. The mask that had cracked had been repaired partially, though it only covered the top half of his face, leaving his mouth exposed. Behind the mask, golden eyes flashed with renewed ire. His skin was chalk white, and he looked slightly malnourished. Even so, the power radiating from the hollow was phenomenal.

The blade of the Tensa Zangetsu began to lose its color, becoming stark white. His long orange hair fell in a mane about his shoulders, giving him a lithe, lean, lion-like appearance.

Whereas his rage had overtaken him before, this hollow seemed different, and not just in its looks. It was like a completely different entity. It did not roar, but a growl escaped the back of its throat. Its footsteps were light and cautious, like that of a wild animal.

It looked at the captain commander and the nobleman warily, analyzing them with glowing eyes that did not blink.

Slowly, the hollow raised a hand and pointed at the sky.

The reishi of the Seireitei seemed to shudder at the hollow's command. An orb appeared on the tip of the hollow's clawed finger, with a black center and a scarlet outline. It whirled in earnest, and reishi gathered to it, uniting with the sphere and being absorbed.

"Cero… Apagon." Came the hollow's warbled voice.

The orb pulsated, flaring dangerously, as if the energy within was straining to break free. Kyoraku had never heard of such a technique… but one thing was certain. If the Cero Apagon was released, the Kuchiki Estate would likely be erased in a single moment. Tilting down the brim of his hat, Shunsui said a silent prayer to the Spirit King.

"Kageoni!"

The captain commander dissipated into a shadow, reemerging behind the hollow, who paid him no mind. With singular focus, the malevolent spirit levelled its arm, pointing at Aizen. Kyoraku raised his sword-

"Act Two, Jealous Murderer's Remorse!"

Again, the blades ignored flesh, but the effect of the attack was immediate. The hollow's mask split right down the middle. The glow in his eyes faded, and his hair grew short once more. The Cero Apagon flickered and died, and a tremor ran through the air as the captured reishi was released.

Ichigo fell to his knees, nothing left of his shihakusho save for the wrappings that obscured his dignity. His pale flesh was no longer chalk white, but he still looked unhealthy. He fell forward and hit the ground, tears streaming from his eyes and saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. Rapid gasps and wheezes filled the silence as he struggled to breathe… but he was alive.

"NANAO!" Kyoraku bellowed, looking to the teahouse, where his lieutenant was holding onto Rukia. At once, the bespectacled shinigami dispelled the barrier and raced to his side, taking a knee before her captain. Shunsui's limbs were shaking from either exhaustion or adrenaline, and he looked very tired. Using his bankai seemed to have taken a lot out of him.

"Y-y-yes, captain?!"

Nanao had never heard Kyoraku yell like that. He seemed shaken, and he steadfastly refused to look down at Ichigo, who was still spluttering as he lay on the ground, face down.

"Go get Unohana. Ichigo needs medical attention at once."

"U-U-Unohana, sir?"

Nanao did not meet her captain's eye. She was afraid he would be angry with her. She had recommended the use of his bankai, after all. Some of the blame for Kurosaki's condition fell on her. The Head Captain's gaze was too hard to meet, like staring into the sun.

"Is there a problem, lieutenant?"

Nanao shook. Was he getting angry with her?

"Unohana has been dead for almost a year, sir! Captain Kotetsu leads Squad Four now."

"Ah, I see. Yeah, I suppose you're right. Forgive me, I'm a little worked up. I was scared I had killed-" Kyoraku coughed, the bile in his throat preventing him from speaking about death. "Well, fetch Isane on the double. And get me some sake, would you? My sweet little Nanao?"

A gentle hand came to rest on the lieutenant's head, ruining her tight bun and skewing her glasses. Readjusting them, she looked up at the Captain-Commander, who smiled. His calm and collected attitude seemed to seep into her, and the lieutenant nodded before vanishing into thin air. A gentle rain began to fall from the sky, staining the ground dark and turning the sky a silvery grey.

A scuffle from behind Shunsui caught his attention, and he spun on his heel, swords at the ready. Instead, he saw Rukia kneeling in the dirt, staining the very expensive kimono she was supposed to wear for her wedding. She had rolled Ichigo over onto his back, and had his head in her lap. Tears still ran from his eyes as he gently wept, but he did not seem to register Rukia. His soft brown eyes were dim, and lacked their usual charming sparkle. His body was covered in bruises, as if he had been brutally beaten. Rain fell onto his face, making his flinch.

"Ichigo…" Rukia muttered, gently shaking his head.

But he did not acknowledge her. Drool ran from the corner of his mouth, and he choked on it. His entire body shook, and his breathing was unsteady. Kyoraku pulled off his kimono- the one he had gotten from his sister in law, and was about to lay it on Ichigo when Rukia grabbed the Tensa Zangetsu and aimed its tip at the First Division's Captain.

"Get away from him!"

Shunsui looked at Rukia, staring hard into her dark eyes. A tense moment later, something seemed to pass between them, as if he had mentally promised not to hurt the substitute shinigami any more, and the sword fell from Rukia's hand, clanging against the earth. Taking a knee next to Ichigo, Kyoraku covered him with his kimono, and turned his head so that he would not choke on his saliva.

"I apologize," Rukia said suddenly. "I should not have raised a sword against you, Head Captain."

"Don't sweat it," he replied nonchalantly, flashing a tired smile.

The minutes ticked by in silence. No one moved. Before long, three shimmering silhouettes appeared, solidifying into Nanao, Isane, and Byakuya. The Kuchiki family leader coldy surveyed the scene before his eyes came to rest upon Rukia, Kyoraku, and Ichigo. Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku nodded at Byakuya, who immediately went to him. The two noblemen strode off around the cloister, speaking of all that had happened. Meanwhile, Isane Kitetsu sank to her knees next to Ichigo and immediately frowned.

"What are all these bruises from?" she asked, gently rubbing her slender fingers over his skin.

"That would be my doing," Kyoraku supplied, "I used my bankai to subdue him. This is an after effect of the Futatsu Tamashī Monogatari."

"The Tale of Two Souls?" Kitetsu asked, focusing her spirit energy into her hands and casting the healing kido on Ichigo.

"These bruises are the mark of the Second Act… wherein the jealous man kills his adulterous lover and her new partner with his bare hands."

Rukia shuddered, turning her gaze to the empty eyes of the substitute soul reaper. There was no doubt in her mind that Ichigo was living in that story, even as she cradled his head and ran her fingers through his orange hair.

"So then these marks-" Isane realized.

"Are the wounds of his mental battle," Shunsui confirmed with nod.

"His reiatsu is very weak," Isane noted, "but I'm more concerned about his mind. Will this ever wear off?"

The Captain-Commander scratched his chin, "It's hard to say. I've never used my bankai on a human before. And with his unique situation, it seems to have had a particularly devastating effect on his psyche."

"What are your orders, Captain-Commander?" asked Nanao.

With a sigh, Shunsui stood, pausing as his knees creaked and sent pain shooting through his thigh. He was getting too old for this.

"Get Soifon and the Stealth Force here. I want Ichigo transported to the Fourth Division's healing center as soon as he is fit to travel. After Captain Isane finishes the operation, take Ichigo to the Detention Center in the Squad Thirteen Compound. And Nanao… where's that sake?"

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Woo, another chapter. Great.**_

 _ **Not gonna lie, this thing was a bitch and a half to write. I thought it would come to me with no sweat, but I guess I was wrong. Not to mention I've been crazy busy with life and stuff. Kinda lame, but there it is. That said, I want to get a little creative with Ichigo's powers. I have a pretty cool explanation for why he no longer carries two blades, by the way, it wasn't just an aesthetic choice. Oh, and did anyone catch onto that whole Vasto Lorde thing? I have more planned with that magnificent sunuvabitch, too. Also, we have flashbacks! Yay! And inner world stuff! Yay! And horrific, ever encroaching darkness that is no doubt a metaphor for the despair and sadness we humans all feek. YAY! TOTALLY NOT CLICHE AT ALL.**_

 _ **Also, Ichigo is doing time. because a jail will toooootally hold him. 100%. No problems there. And how about Kyoraku's bankai? As a writer, I have massive respect for a power that can bring stories to life. That said, there really weren't any limitations placed on it in canon, so I played with the mechanics a little. But I've gotta go to work tomorrow... and it's 4am, so I'll leave my sarcasm and witty commentary for the next chapter. Here's some music to listen to while you go about your business.**_

 _ **Harry Hudson-Yellow Lights (more of a romantic song, but this is, in essence, an Ichiruki fic)**_

 _ **Beggar's Song-Matt Maeson (I can picture Ichigo walking through Hueco Mundo as this song plays, just sort of looking at the aftermath of all the battles there and meeting up with his friends)**_

 _ **Johnny's Revenge-Crown the Empire (I used this one for the battle scenes)**_

 _ **Kratos-Jake Hill (hollow theme song)**_

 _ **Help-Jake Hill (Kyoraku's Bankai theme song)**_

 _ **Thanks for reading. Praise be to Tite Kubo.**_

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 _ **But have you guys ever read Rising of the Shield Hero? If not, you should.**_


	12. Imprisoned! Key, Kiss, and Promise

_Ichigo didn't want to believe it… he couldn't believe it, but the blood all over his hands didn't lie; he had just murdered two people._

 _Rukia lay spread eagle on the floor, her pale throat lined with dark bruises from where Ichigo had held her in an iron grip. A line of blood ran from the corner of her lips, and her expression was that of panicked horror. Her large, dark eyes, which had gone dull and soulless, seemed to bore into her murderer._

 _And next to Rukia, his face so battered and bruised that he was unrecognizable, was Renji. The remnants of an angry snarl could still be made out, but for the most part his swollen lips and blacked eyes made it hard to see. The only reason Ichigo could still separate it from the mangled mess was because he had seen the snarl firsthand when Renji had fought back._

 _The high schooler felt like he might be sick, and his senses were abruptly overwhelmed as he covered his mouth and swallowed back the sour bile that had risen to his throat._

'What the… why did I do this? This isn't what I wanted. Rukia… oh god, Rukia!'

 _Ichigo felt like the world had been shattered and replaced with an intricate fake. Rukia was gone. Nothing felt real._

 _That's when a chuckle, so quiet that Ichigo barely heard it, pervaded the silence. It was cold and malignant, like a bitterly chill wind on a freezing day. It prompted Ichigo to glance around in search of the culprit, and when he looked into the mirror, he flinched._

 _His eyes were golden and black, his skin was chalk white, and his blood splattered face was twisted with a grin. Even as he stared into the mirror, he began to laugh once more_

 _"Ahahaha! Ehehehehehe- AAAAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" The reflection threw back his head in laughter. Ichigo's body moved of its own accord, mimicking the mirror as his throat contracted and expanded by itself. It was as though the hollow were in control once again, and all he could do was mentally scream for the laughter to stop._

* * *

He bolted awake with a strangled cry, his eyes opening to the real world once again. Or had they been open the entire time? Somehow, he had vague memories of all that had transpired since he'd been taken over by his inner hollow. He remembered fighting, and suffering a grievous defeat, but the memory was odd, as if viewed from the eyes of a stranger.

The substitute soul reaper tried to sit up when incredible pain exploded through his head and shot down his spine. He fell back against the cot, still reeling from discomfort as stars danced before his eyes. When the spots had faded from his vision, he slowly craned his neck and took in his surroundings.

Thick iron bars blocked off any chance of escape against one wall, while the other three were made of pale beige stone brick. He was clothed in a blank white robe, similar to a shihakusho, but without any sort of identification. It was thin, and a tad breezy for Ichigo's liking, but it was better than nothing. Much of his upper body seemed to be covered in bandages, making it difficult to move.

Peering inward, the orange haired youth was startled to find that his spirit energy, while stabilized, was still dangerously low. In fact, it was lower than it had ever been since he had completely lost his powers. To make matters even worse, his zanpakuto was nowhere to be seen.

Moving at a snail's pace, he managed to sit up from the cot and place his bare feet on the cold stone floor of his jail cell.

And just like that, his reiryoku plummeted even further, making him dizzy as he swayed where he stood, clutching the cot for support. He panted, sweat beading his brow as his knuckles turned white. Why was he so weak all of a sudden?!

The sun shone brightly through a small window with bars across it, reflecting off of the pale stone walls and lighting up the interior of the cell. Ichigo narrowed his sensitive eyes to the brightness.

 _'This stone…_ ' a thought began to form in his mind.

He wasn't exactly sure on the details, but the walls that surrounded the Seireitei were made of a certain type of stone that nullified all types of spirit energy. It would stand to reason that any jail under the jurisdiction of the Gotei 13 would be made of materials that could withstand high amounts of spirit energy. Otherwise, there would be no way to keep powerful criminals locked up.

A voice cut through the silence, causing Ichigo to turn about. "Ah, I thought I felt you wake up."

A pink, flowery kimono, expensive hairpins, and a sun-bleached straw hat all entered Ichigo's frame of view as Shunsui Kyoraku appeared on the other side of the bars. Oddly enough, the captain didn't seem angry. If it had been Old Man Yamamoto standing there, Ichigo was sure that his fury would be radiating off of him in powerful waves of heat. Kyoraku, on the other hand, merely looked bemused. The difference was like night and day.

Perhaps Ichigo was reading him incorrectly but for whatever reason, the Head Captain didn't seem angry in the slightest. But how could that be? Surely, the Captain-Commander was within his rights to be upset?

"O-Old Man Kyoraku?" Ichigo stammered.

The Head Captain's smile was gone in an instant, replaced by an indignant pout.

"Old man yourself," he grumbled, "I'm not a day over four hundred, thank you very much."

With many a quiet curse and many moans of discomfort, the Head Captain gingerly took a seat on the floor, crossing his legs as he pulled out a hollow gourd and two sake cups. Filling them both, he reached out and placed one on the other side of the bars, so it was within the bounds of Ichigo's cell. He then raised the other in a toast.

"To your health," he said, knocking back the liquor and shuddering slightly from the bitter aftertaste.

It hadn't been lost on Ichigo that the Head Captain was likely sore from his battle with the substitute soul reaper's inner hollow. Observing him a bit more closely, Ichigo could tell that the man was tense, and his usually tan and sunbathed complexion was a little paler today.

Kyoraku refilled and immediately drained his cup twice more before gesturing at the one he'd placed in Ichigo's cell.

"You'd better drink that before I do," he laughed.

Placing a tentative foot on the floor to make sure he wouldn't almost collapse again, the younger man clambered from his cot and sat across from Shunsui. Taking the sake cup from the ground, Ichigo's nose crinkled as it detected the potent, burning scent of hard liquor.

For a moment, the substitute soul reaper considered just setting the liquor aside. His father had offered him booze one time, however, he had quickly found that it wasn't to his taste. And that was to make no mention of the way it dulled the senses and turned people into idiots. Then the pain in his chest, which was no doubt the result of losing Rukia, and being utterly defeated by Aizen, began escalating. He wasn't sure if the pain was physical or emotional, but he didn't care. All he knew was that it hurt unlike any injury he'd ever had before, and unlike those, he was scared this one would not heal.

Breathing through his mouth and stifling the urge to regurgitate, Ichigo raised the glass in a toast.

"To your health," he muttered, tossing the liquid into his gullet.

Big mistake.

With his raw, parched throat, Ichigo felt as though he had swallowed fire. He could barely keep it down as the sensation caused him to choke and splutter. He thumped his chest, tears in his eyes as Kyoraku looked on with concern, a single eyebrow raised in askance.

An understanding grin played across Kyoraku's lips as he produced a water skin from the folds of his shihakusho and slid it beneath the bars of the cell.

"Sorry," he chuckled, "I guess I forgot that you aren't accustomed to hard liquor first thing in the morning."

"Wha- morning?!"

Turning to the barred window, the high schooler tried to gauge the time, but the sky was cloudy and overcast. From his vantage point, he couldn't see any trace of the sun, and thus it was impossible for him to tell.

"How long was I-"

Kyoraku cut him off, "You were taken into custody yesterday evening. Lieutenant- er- _Captain_ Kotetsu was operating on you all last night and early into this morning."

Ichigo tried to recall his battle, but it was a jumble of sensations, feelings, and emotions, with pain being the most prevalent. Images and odd flashes of memory floated to the surface as well, but none of it really seemed to fit together. Perhaps it was because he was trying to understand his inner hollow (a being that was essentially his polar opposite) that made the memories so hard to string together.

"How's your arm?" the older man asked suddenly, pointing with his chin at Ichigo's sword arm.

It was in bandages all the way down to the tips of his fingers, but Ichigo had no idea why. It was the arm he had broken yesterday, when he'd fallen from the sky, and though it wasn't in a cast, Kyoraku was not sure it had healed completely.

The orange haired youth curled his fingers slowly, "It's a bit stiff… why?"

"No reason," the Head Captain poured himself another cup. "Anyway, if it's alright with you, I'd like to get right to the crux of the matter. This isn't an interrogation or anything, I just want to talk to you, man to man. I've heard all the witness testimony, and I've read through all of the reports, but I'd like to hear it straight from the source. You're a good kid, Kurosaki… but what in the hell is going on with you? Why would you attack a nobleman? The Ichigo I know wouldn't do something like that without a damned good reason… am I wrong?"

The bitter taste that coated Ichigo's tongue after downing the liquor was intensified by the thought of Aizen's smug face.

 _"As long as I have Rukia, you cannot act against me without her being at risk… and the piece of her soul within you will not allow any harm to come to her."_

The substitute shinigami set down his sake cup, which Kyoraku took and refilled before pushing it beneath the bars once more.

"Drink," the Head Captain ordered. "When you're ready to speak, I'll listen."

There it was: the thing that had been bothering Ichigo ever since this encounter began was made clear in an instant.

Though this was by all rights an interrogation, Ichigo did not feel threatened in the slightest. At least, not by the man before him. Rather, it almost felt like a meeting with an estranged friend or uncle. Shunsui wasn't pressing him for an answer. He seemed genuinely interested in Ichigo's wellbeing, and concerned about the young man's dilemma.

Finishing his second glass with a shudder, Ichigo made to hand the cup back to Kyoraku, who smiled mischievously and refilled it again. At this point, Ichigo was not sure he could stomach another. His head was buzzing pleasantly, and his thoughts seemed much less jagged and jarring. The pain in his chest whenever he thought about Rukia was not quite so world ending now as it had been moments ago.

Still, Ichigo couldn't stifle his frown, and the Captain-Commander shrugged. "It's only right I buy you a drink. After all, I'm responsible for your injuries."

The high schooler nodded slowly. In all of his scattered recollections of the battle, the one who'd done the most damage to the hollow had been Kyoraku.

"Ah, and one other thing I forgot to ask… how exactly does Lieutenant Kuchiki fit into all of this?"

The Head Captain smirked to himself as Ichigo's face turned the color of a strawberry. Judging from his reaction, Rukia was most assuredly a part of Ichigo's reasoning for coming to the Seireitei. The Captain-Commander stroked his unshaven chin thoughtfully.

"So, is that it, then?" he wondered aloud. "Was this simply a crime of unrestrained passion?"

"N-NO! I-I mean it isn't…." It seemed that the orange haired youth could not quite express his complicated feelings for the adopted Kuchiki.

 _'As strong as he is, he really doesn't seem too keen on talking about this sort of thing.'_ Kyoraku noted.

Of course, that could only mean that Rukia was a sensitive topic for him. This was no doubt in part due to the effects of Kyoraku's bankai, which would probably have an effect on Ichigo until the day he passed on from the world of the living. Visions such as those were never the kind to wash away easily.

"In that case, I'll need you to help me understand," the Head Captain leaned forward, looking a little anxious. "I'm on your side, Kurosaki, but others are not willing to be so lenient. Byakuya is still furious about the damage you caused to his estate. I can't help you if you don't help me."

The effects of the liquor made it hard for Ichigo to concentrate. He'd just drank a fair amount of hard liquor, with nothing to wash it down but a few sips of water. His tongue felt dry in his mouth as he thought about the possibility of the Head Captain being under Aizen's spell.

 _'Who am I kidding?'_ he thought erratically _. 'This is Shunsui Kyoraku… he's always been on my side!'_

When Aizen had laid the fake Karakura town to siege, all of the captains, Kyoraku included, had put themselves between Aizen and Ichigo with no hesitation whatsoever. If Ichigo couldn't trust the Captain-Commander, then he was doomed from the start.

Taking a deep breath, the substitute soul reaper drained his cup and set it off to the side before launching into the story of his life after Yhwach's defeat. It may have seemed a strange place to start, but he figured it was necessary if Kyoraku was to understand his feelings for Rukia… at least, to some extent.

And as it turned out, Captain Kyoraku was an excellent listener. He met Ichigo's eyes without fail, even when the young man admitted how lost and isolated he had felt after returning to the world of the living and resuming his life as an average human. Occasionally the Head Captain would pause the story to ask a question, or make an observation, but for the most part he was silent.

After that, Ichigo moved forward to Rukia's arrival, and how it had rekindled the feelings in his heart while simultaneously giving him new ones to ponder. He explained how she made him think about the future- which in and of itself was probably a miracle- and how he wanted her to be a part of that future.

It was disconcerting in the extreme for the high schooler to lay bare his personal feelings for Rukia, especially to a man like Kyoraku, but the Head Captain seemed to understand the trust it had taken, and he said nothing of it.

The orange haired youth even divulged his attempted courting of Rukia. He talked about their date, and how it had been going well until they had gone to the movie theater. He spoke about learning of the petite soul reaper's betrothal, and the subsequent argument that had followed.

"But then, I was correct in my initial assumption that this was a crime of passion, wasn't I?" Kyoraku asked, forgoing all semblance of manners and taking a swig straight from the gourd.

Ichigo scratched absent mindedly at the pale stone floor with his fingernail, debating whether or not he should tell the Captain-Commander about Aizen. If word got out that he had revealed Kamisaigaiku's true identity, then Aizen might just decide to end Rukia's life on principal.

Then again, Ichigo, a criminal by all accounts, had been treated with dignity and respect by the Captain-Commander. Even if Kyoraku didn't believe him, he would likely know better than to say anything about it to anyone. Aizen's name alone was more than enough to cause a panic, and for very good reason.

"Captain Kyoraku, are we alone? Can anyone else hear what we're saying?" Ichigo asked cautiously.

The Head Captain looked up from his gourd, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you and Ru-"

"It's not that. There's something I need to tell you… It's a matter of life and death. The thing is, I'm not entirely sure who I can trust. If what I say reaches the wrong ears, someone could die."

Kyoraku's smile was touched with concern.

"Well, we're as alone as we can possibly be," he replied, "and I promise to try and prevent any needless deaths, but I'll need more details to go on."

With Aizen on his mind, Ichigo found himself unable to speak. The thought of the former fifth division's captain raised his hackles, and made him second guess everything he said. Could Aizen have accounted for this and taken counter measures? Was this just a part of his master-plan to destroy Ichigo? Or would Aizen simply rely upon his threat against Rukia's life to ensure Ichigo's obedience? There was really no way of knowing.

Shaking his head to clear away these negative thoughts, the substitute shinigami tried to focus on something to help calm him down. An image of Rukia, the same one that had saved him from his inner darkness, appeared in his mind's eye. It was beautiful and bold, like a painting, but far too detailed for a human hand. Her expression was not warm, but indifferent, and slightly taciturn, but it gave her the appearance of timeless youth, like some sort of deity.

Taking a breath to steady himself, the young orange haired man said, "Lord Kamisaigaiku isn't who he says he is. Aizen has escaped, and is masquerading as the leader of the clan using his shikai. He believes that in wearing that disguise, he can infiltrate the Spirit King's Palace."

The Captain-Commander showed no signs of fear, though the creases in his forehead deepened as he frowned. His dark grey irises bored into Ichigo's soft brown ones, as if he were trying to stare into the high schooler's thoughts and see the truth.

Ichigo returned the gaze with unblinking tenacity, determined to make Kyoraku understand the seriousness of the situation.

"You seem to be telling the truth," the Head Captain decided after a lengthy pause. "Either that, or you're a very good liar. I don't suppose you have any sort of evidence, do you?"

The substitute shinigami was temporarily at a loss for words before anger settled in. Of course there was no evidence! This was _Aizen_ they were talking about; the one soul reaper with power so far beyond anything else in the Seireitei that it was only matched by his own intellect!

Ichigo began to try and rationalize that thought. Yelling at the man who'd been courteous enough not to laugh in the face of such an accusation wouldn't help in the slightest. Aizen was far too prepared to have left any sort of evidence. He'd had two years to scheme in the dark, and plot the perfect way to destroy the high schooler's credibility.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo, but unless you have very concrete evidence, there's nothing I can do. The laws that protect nobility are made in such a way that unless they are caught red handed, they are assumed innocent. Just investigating them without proper procedure and evidence would be a disaster. And given the circumstances, I don't think anyone would take you on your word. You have a very personal stake in this matter, y'know?"

An uncomfortable silence followed. Kyoraku didn't directly say it, but Ichigo could tell that his warning was being taken with a grain of salt. He shouldn't have been surprised… no, he _wasn't_ surprised. He was, however, slightly disappointed. After all he'd been through, and after all the fighting he had done in the name of the Seireitei, to be cast aside so readily was almost too much. First he'd lost Rukia, and now he'd lost all of his allies in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The strained silence was finally broken by the Head Captain putting the stopper in his liquor gourd and groaning as he got to his feet.

"It's fine," Ichigo muttered.

Kyoraku paused, turning back around to look at Ichigo over his shoulder. The prisoner was smiling to himself, a strange light flickering in his eyes as his hope was rekindled.

"What's that?" Kyoraku asked.

"I said it's fine if you don't believe me. It's fine if no one does. Central 46, the Court Guard Squads, the Captains… I don't need you to believe me, or pity me. The truth will undoubtedly be revealed soon enough. But in the meantime, I have a favor to ask."

Kyoraku scratched his chin, curious as to what could prompt Ichigo to look so pleased. He was locked up, and facing criminal charges. Did he not understand that he was in trouble?

"Well, that depends on the favor."

Ichigo gripped the iron bars of his cell and pulled himself to his feet. Once again, he stared into the eyes of the Head Captain, which had become somewhat reserved.

"Even if you don't believe that Lord Kamisaigaiku is Aizen, please protect Rukia. Swear to me that you'll keep her safe, no matter what happens."

Sliding his arm through the bars of his cell, Ichigo extended his hand to the Captain-Commander. He could feel the metal sapping away his spirit energy, but he ignored it, clenching his jaw as he waited for a response.

Sweeping the hat from his head, the Captain-Commander grasped Ichigo's forearm, staring into the young man's face with curious wonder.

"You have my word," he swore, "I'll protect Rukia."

But when Kyoraku turned away, his face fell, and he finished his oath mentally, 'Even from you, Ichigo.'

The terrifying visage of the hollow from yesterday snapped the Head Captain from his reverie, sending a jolt of panic through him. He strode to the door with a surprisingly steady gait, pausing with his hand upon it.

"Oh, by the way, I'll send someone down to deliver your sentence later. If we're lucky, Central 46 won't get wind of this until after the trial is over and done with. I'll do my best to get you cleared but don't expect to get off scot free."

And just like that, Ichigo's meeting with the Head Captain was over. With little else to do, and his brain buzzing from the strong alcohol, he decided to clamber back onto his cot and get some more rest. He lay there wide awake, thinking about Rukia to the point where his thoughts of her were a tangled, woven mess without beginning or end. Setting them aside, he instead wondered about his family and friends, worry gnawing at his insides as he realized he'd left without so much as saying goodbye.

* * *

Later, when the day had given way to the soft glow of a full moon, back at the Kuchiki estate Rukia found that sleep was lost upon her as well. She tossed and turned, unable to find the comforting rest she desired, no matter what pose she took, or how still she kept her limbs. Memories of Ichigo's attempted assassination of her betrothed haunted her like ghosts, and flashbacks of his evil grin and shining golden irises made her sit up from her bed and stare around the room with wild eyes, like those of a cornered animal.

When it became too much to bear, and when her room had become stuffy and warm she got to her feet and went to the window, pushing it open as she bathed in the moonlight that streamed down through it. The chill night winds rushed through and caressed her, and Rukia felt herself shudder for reasons that had nothing to do with the cold.

 _'Why… why would you do something like this, Ichigo?'_ she thought to herself. _'Could it be that your hollow is growing stronger, or are you just upset with me?'_

It wouldn't surprise her if Ichigo blamed her for this. No doubt it felt like a betrayal of his trust, especially after all they'd been through, and how close they had gotten. Even Rukia had a hard time convincing herself that she was not to blame. If only she'd kept him at a distance, if only she hadn't given in to her heart when Ichigo asked it of her, if only….

Rukia had never been particularly good with relationships, whether they were platonic or otherwise. Her sister abandoned her as an infant. The kids she grew up with in the Rukon district no doubt hated her for abandoning them. She and Renji had only reconciled their friendship after Ichigo had managed to prove that Rukia had not made a mistake in creating a substitute shinigami. Her brother, Byakuya, hadn't bothered to look at her for years after adopting her into the clan. More recently, though, he'd been working to proactively engage Rukia in conversation, and taking on an active role in her life as the brother Hisana wanted him to be.

And Ichigo… well, he was Rukia's best friend, and her greatest ally. She had taught him the way of the soul reaper, and their duty to keep the world safe from spiritual threats that may arise. In return, he had shown her loyalty and compassion, and all the other things she had forgotten in her duties as a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13. He had shown her she was capable of feeling love, and that she deserved friends who would stand by her. Through blood, sweat, and tears, Ichigo had done just that.

And in all that time, he had never blamed her. He had never shirked his duty as a soul reaper, save perhaps a few choice instances where his friends were in immediate danger. He had smiled through it all, confidence in every fiber of his being. Somehow, he'd managed to take up the mantle as the leader of their little gang of misfits. He's embraced his powers, and used them to protect everything he held dear.

The boy she'd met all those years ago had grown into a fine young man, and she hadn't noticed until it was far too late.

Perhaps if she hadn't waited, things might have turned out differently. If she hadn't convinced herself that her feelings for him were just the after effects of victory in the face of certain demise, the two of they might have been together. Maybe they'd have fallen in love, working hard to build a life with each other. If that were so, Ichigo wouldn't be locked away in a cell while she stood alone by the window sill, and wished for his warm arms to be wrapped around her.

She remembered the way he felt when his body was pressed against hers. She recalled the scent of his bedsheets, and how his gentle snoring put her to sleep when they had slept together.

And the more she thought about how things might have been different, the more she felt herself nearing a breakdown. She drowned herself willingly in the fantasy of living a life with Ichigo, imagining how sweet it would be to be able to love him without being shackled by the chains of nobility and responsibility.

They would probably live at the Kurosaki clinic for a while, until they had the means to afford their own place. They could start a family, get good jobs, and live their lives without having to constantly fight.

"…it's just a dream," Rukia sighed as the illusion became harder to maintain.

A gentle knock at her door pulled her from her stupor, and she hastily wiped away the tears that had rolled from her cheeks. She turned to find Byakuya on the threshold. He was dressed in his usual shihakusho and haori. A white scarf was wrapped elegantly about his shoulders, which was odd. He had stopped wearing that scarf years ago.

"Brother? What's wrong?" Rukia asked.

"It's good that you are already awake," he said quietly. "Please get dressed and meet me at the front gate. Ichigo Kurosaki's trial has begun, and we have been summoned to give testimony."

* * *

When Ichigo woke up, night had once more fallen. He groaned as he sat up in his cot, wondering how he would try and fix his sleep schedule when he remembered why it was he had woken up in the first place. Someone had been tapping on the bars of his cell.

"Hey, get up, moron. I brought you dinner."

Turning to the bars, Ichigo saw that his visitor was none other than Renji Abarai. The soul reaper was grim faced, and he stooped to slide a tray of unappetizing food beneath the cell door.

Swinging his legs from the cot, Ichigo turned to better see Renji, only to be pinned in place by the man's hateful stare.

"Never thought I'd have to say this, but you're a damned fool for coming here, Ichigo," The long haired man sneered. "Assassinating a noble would earn anyone else the death penalty. Not to mention that my captain is pressing charges for all the damage you caused."

Gritting his teeth, Ichigo tried to bite back a sharp retort, but it was no good. His mind still seemed to be a step behind his mouth due to the drink, and he growled, "Geez, Renji, it's nice to see you, too. Sorry for knocking over your boyfriends favorite shrubs. Tell him I'll swing by and help him plant some petunias if I can get off with community service."

The squad six lieutenant looked murderous, and pulled back his lips in a snarl as he prepared to give Ichigo a tongue lashing, but a hushed whisper made him think better of that. Ichigo frowned. Was someone else out there with him?

Taking a deep breath, Renji pulled on the collar of his shihakusho, but his ire still lived in his dark eyes.

"As a human, I can hardly expect you to comprehend the relationship between a captain and his lieutenant," the soul reaper smirked.

"With the way you talk about him, I'm not sure I want to understand your relationship with Byakuya."

"Why you-" Renji took a step forward when another quiet word stopped him in his tracks. Ichigo couldn't identify who had spoken, much less hear what was said. He craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of this person, but he saw nothing.

"Hmph. Well, I'm not just here to chat, Ichigo. I'm here to tell you that your trial has started, and from the looks of things, you're in some deep shit. Central 46 caught wind of your trial, and they've supplanted Kyoraku's judgment. They'll be the ones deciding your fate. Your situation is looking grim."

"Tch, tell me something I don't know," Ichigo fumed to himself.

Central 46, the governing force of the Seireitei and the entire Soul Society, had been annihilated by Sosuke Aizen before his defection. Though their executive power had fallen a bit with the deaths of their members, more nobles had been chosen to take their place. Once more, it was a cesspool of stuffy, pompous, traditionalist aristocrats. All of these likeminded men were sitting in a room right now, deciding Ichigo's fate, and none of them were on his side.

"I just don't get what the hell you were thinking," Renji was saying when Ichigo returned to his senses, "but you have a lot to answer for. Do you have any idea how upset Rukia has been? She's been beside herself with worry, crying nonstop because she's terrified you'll end up banished, or stripped of your powers, or executed outright! Personally, I don't know what she sees in you! You've been nothing but trouble! We'd all be better off if you just left!"

Renji crossed his arms, huffing from the strain of his raised voice, but the smile on his face was one of self-satisfaction. Ichigo balled his fists, rage abound in his chest as his spirit energy swelled up like a balloon. The horrific, blood chilling visions instilled in his mind by Kyoraku's bankai seemed to grow more and more real by the second. The tangy iron scent of blood filled his nostrils, threatening to push him past the point of no return as the doors within his mind echoed with a cacophony of banging.

"Here's a little gift from an anonymous sponsor who still cares about your sorry ass," the lieutenant pulled out a large, heavy iron key and threw it to Ichigo, who caught it just before it hit his face. Turning it over in his hands, he realized it was probably the key to his cell.

"Use it to run away like you always do. We'll stay here and clean up your mess," Renji chided in summation.

Ichigo was on his feet in a flash, marching across his cell. He fortified his strength with his reiryoku, waves crashing in his ears as he seized Renji by the front of his shihakusho and pulled him into the bars of his cell with a resounding _CLANG!_ The soul reaper's eyes became unfocused for a second before they rekindled with their usual irate glitter. He had bashed his head against the iron, and a trickle of blood ran from his forehead, lending his face a peculiar fiendishness as he tightened his lips and grappled with, clenching his fists as they prepared to brawl through the bars of the cell.

The tip of an ice cold sword pricked Ichigo's neck, and a quiet feminine voice that made his heart stop said, "That's enough, Ichigo. You're angry with me, not Renji. Let go of him."

Following the blade of the familiar sword with his eyes, Ichigo found himself accosted by a short figure in a dark cloak that obscured their features. He already knew who it was, though. That sword, and that voice were dead giveaways.

"Rukia," Ichigo breathed, letting the collar of Renji's shihakusho slip through his fingers as the noblewoman drew back the hood of her cloak.

Her eyes were red and bloodshot, like she'd been crying, and the shadows beneath them had darkened. From the way her hair stuck up at odd angles, Ichigo guessed that she hadn't had much luck sleeping, either.

Fumbling with the key Renji had given him, Ichigo began to search for the keyhole, only to feel the blade of the Sore no Shirayuki press against his neck a little harder.

"Stay in your cell," Rukia commanded in a tone sharper than her blade, "wait until I've left to use it."

"But… Rukia, what's going on?"

"You're wasting your time," Renji told her, "and if you get caught helping him-"

Rukia shook her head, clenching her jaw to keep her chin from wobbling. "I can't let Central 46 go through with this."

Wiping away the blood on his face using the sleeve of his robe, Renji looked between Rukia and Ichigo, who were staring so intently at each other that it felt as though he didn't even exist, as per the norm.

"Heh. Well, I have to go," he grumbled tautly. "If I'm caught, I don't have a noble title to save me from being branded a traitor and thrown in here alongside Ichigo."

Rukia turned, pulled from her scrutiny of the prisoner as Renji stepped by her and made for the door.

"R-Renji, hold on-" Rukia called, flinching as the door slammed shut behind the furious lieutenant.

Her eyes were misty when she turned back to Ichigo; glaring at him as if it were his fault Renji was upset.

If Ichigo were honest with himself, he might have realized that teasing Renji as he did had only thrown fuel onto the fire of the soul reaper's dislike for him, but at that moment, he didn't care. It was worth it to get a moment alone with Rukia.

The way she looked at him was disconcerting, though. It was like she was staring at a lost loved one, a dead man. Ichigo swallowed past a hard knot in his throat and put a hand to his neck. He wasn't dead just yet, but Rukia made no move to sheathe her sword.

The air was abnormally tense, but Ichigo was no stranger to such things. The tension between two people engaged in a battle of life and death was far more riveting, and so he found himself absorbed in all of Rukia's little features that had formerly escaped his notice. The way her lips seemed to automatically revert to that cute little pout when she frowned was so familiar, it was a wonder he'd ever forgotten it. The fact that she wasn't happy to see him didn't seem wholly important, and just being able to look upon her was more than enough to satiate him.

Then, flashes of memory began to besiege him. He remembered hollowfying, and cool, refreshing raindrops against his battered flesh. Hot, salty tears, splattering onto his face… and Rukia's tear stained cheeks as she held his head in her lap and sobbed.

 _'When did that happen?'_ Ichigo wondered, trying to hold onto the memories even as they slipped away.

"Idiot," Rukia snapped, earning a startled cry from Ichigo, "why are you staring at me like that?!"

Her face was tinged with pink, and she pulled her cloak more tightly about herself. By the Spirit King, while he was absorbed in memories, his eyes had drifted downward of their own accord, and he'd been staring at her body!

"Huh? O-oh, sorry. I was just looking at your-"

He contemplated telling her the truth, but it would only serve to make her worry about his inner hollow. For a moment, it felt as though they had regained their old dynamic, though in a much less appropriate fashion. The alcohol in his bloodstream bade him take his chances and fire back.

 _'I don't have much to lose at this point,'_ the substitute shinigami realized.

"Well?!" she asked, her hands upon her hips.

"I was just thinking about how pretty you are when you're waving your sword around," Ichigo grinned sheepishly, feeling himself grow hot under the collar.

Rukia took a deep breath, clearly about to berate him when the meaning of his words took effect. Her expression softened, and her face grew hot as well as she opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"W-w-what the hell are you on about?!"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head, looking around his cell. "I- uh... it's just nice to see you, y'know?"

Sheathing her sword, crossing her arms, and rolling her eyes, Rukia couldn't believe what she was hearing. At a time like this, Ichigo wanted to try and flirt with her?!

"Would you knock it off?" she paused, sniffing at the air. "And why the hell do you reek of booze?"

To cool the raging flame that was Rukia's irritation, Ichigo quickly explained the Head Captain's visit, conveniently leaving out much of their discussion of the squad thirteen lieutenant, and Ichigo's infatuation with her.

"I see," Rukia mumbled, rubbing her chin. "That certainly explains why the Head Captain has been rallying for you during the trial. In fact, he seems to be the only person on your side, save Hideyoshi."

The thought that Aizen was playing the role of a concerned husband-to-be made Ichigo want to laugh out loud. He very well might have, had the situation not been terrifyingly rigged in the favor of the impostor.

"So what brings you down here to my cell?" he wondered. "Shouldn't you be up there with Byakuya and Ai- Kamisaigaiku?"

A shudder seemed to run through the woman's being, and she glanced over her shoulder nervously. Though he looked right at her, she was reluctant to meet Ichigo's gaze.

"I won't lie to you, Ichigo, the situation you're in is…dire. Someone informed Central 46 of your attempt to assassinate a noble. While Hideyoshi maintains that no harm was caused, and you were acting with my best interests at heart, you will inevitably be found guilty. There are too many witnesses, and far too much evidence against you."

Ichigo's tongue suddenly felt as dry as a desert. "And when I'm found guilty…"

"The punishment for attacking a noble is death," Rukia finished quietly.

She let the statement hang, but Ichigo was far from discouraged. He gripped the key in his hand as tightly as he could.

"So you're busting me out," he realized.

"Not me," Rukia shook her head, "Lord Kamisaigaiku-the man you tried to kill- gave me that key. He said that I should give it to you, and apologize to you on his behalf for causing you such a grievance. I only agreed to come down here because I…. I wanted to say goodbye."

"Wha- goodbye?!"

"Yes, Ichigo. I've already told you: I won't abandon my duties. As much as I care for you, I cannot watch you die, and due to the circumstances, I can't reciprocate your affections. This is for the best, you know. It's the only choice I have."

Ichigo felt as though his heart had shattered like glass before crumbling to dust. All of those years, all of that time together, and every fond memory would be forgotten. All of that trust would vanish in a single moment. How could she be ok with that?!

"So that's it? You're gonna kick me to the curb and marry that impostor?!" Ichigo asked loudly.

Rukia blinked. "Impostor? What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. Forget it."

Rukia bit her lip. It killed her to keep denying how she felt. It pained her to have to hurt the man she cared for more than anyone. Was it possible for them to end things amicably?

"You understand what I'm trying to do, don't you?" she queried desperately. "You know that I'm only doing what's best for the both of us, right?"

The substitute shinigami turned away from her, crossing his arms. Though his voice was even, his fists were clenched, and she could see him shaking.

"No, I don't. It feels like you're just trying to get rid of me."

"WHEN will you realize that the universe DOESN'T revolve around YOU?!" Rukia shouted, rage bursting through the dam in her chest. "Why can't you understand how I'm feeling? How can you honestly claim to love me when all you ever do is piss me off and make me cry?!"

"I know the universe doesn't revolve around me! Everything in my universe revolves around YOU!" Ichigo rallied hotly, uncrossing his arms and gesculating wildly. He didn't want to yell at Rukia, but somehow he felt she wouldn't listen otherwise. "Do you think I came here to have a chat with the Captain-Commander? NO! I'm here because even though I messed up, I had hoped we could fix things between us! I'm here because I know you don't want to marry that guy! How am I supposed to understand how you're feeling if you never even try to tell me?!"

"I-" The soul reaper was at a loss for words. She couldn't recall ever trying to discuss her feelings with Ichigo. It seemed inconceivable that their arguments thus far had stemmed from a lack of communication. She doubted things were really so simple… but what if they were?

"So tell me, Rukia! How do YOU feel?! What do YOU want?! What's the REAL reason you came down here?!"

The jig was up.

She'd been exposed. Renji could've easily delivered that key on his own. The real reason she'd gone down there wasn't to say goodbye, it was to see Ichigo. To make sure he was alright. She wanted reassurance that he was himself again, and not the vicious monster from before.

But most of all, the true reason she went to him was because she… because she….

"I- I love you, Ichigo."

The words rolled from her tongue before she could stop them, and a weight she didn't know she'd been carrying lifted from her shoulders. It was both liberating and terrifying to admit, but it was the truth she had found buried deep within her heart of hearts.

Rukia kicked at the stone floor lamely, unable to meet Ichigo's eyes. A gentle hand cupped her chin and lifted it, and she found Ichigo smiling down at her, every trace of his unhappiness gone. He looked so much like his old self that she felt herself go braindead for a moment.

"You know what? Hearing you say that is totally worth being locked up in here," Ichigo told her with a grin.

His hand dropped from her chin, but Rukia caught it and laced her fingers through his, savoring how right it felt, and how perfectly their hands seemed to interlock.

"Then I'll say it for you once more," she said breathlessly, "I love you, Ichigo, and I refuse to watch you die. So if you really love me, leave. Go back to the world of the living, and find someone who will make you forget all about me… just know that I will always love you."

Ichigo's smiled did not waver, but his eyes became watery. "I'm not leaving without you."

"You must. Even if I don't care for Kamisaigaiku the way I care for you, I'll marry him to keep my clan from losing everything. It's the least I can do to repay their kindness."

Ichigo gripped her hand in both of his own, and Rukia's legs began to shake. This was probably the closest they had been since they had kissed in that movie theater. It felt so exhilarating, like a rush of adrenaline. She could only imagine what it would be like to be locked in that cell with him, alone with each other, with nothing to do for hours… but a few saucy ideas came to mind.

Even so, she couldn't live that fantasy for too long.

"Leave with me, Rukia. Please."

The desperate plea made Rukia's navel squirm unpleasantly. All she wanted to do was comply, and yet….

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Then I'll stay here."

The soul reaper smiled, but heartbroken tears fell from her eyes. He was willing to face execution just to be near her. His response had been immediate. He hadn't even given it any thought.

"You're a stupid, stubborn, fool of a man, Ichigo Kurosaki. Don't ever change."

The connection between them widened with each second they held hands. Rukia looked at the bond, noting a strange sensation as their hands glowed with mysterious energy. Ichigo followed her stare with concern, only find to himself enamored by the light as well. Experimentally, they pressed their palms flat against each other, noting how the strange sensation acted as a vacuum for their reiryoku, as if their souls were being drawn to the point of contact. The light faded after a moment, but the sensation continued as energy arced between them, firing through their nervous systems like lightning. Their breaths quickened, and they smiled nervously at each other before, slowly, their looks of surprised confusion melted away.

Ichigo pushed his head through the bars of his cell, leaning against them with his shoulders as he peered at Rukia with hunger in his roving eyes. It was an expression she'd seen once before, and remembered well. A shiver quaked through her as she put her arms through the bars of his cell, wrapping them about his shoulders as he leaned in to place a kiss on her lips.

It was a soft kiss, a gentle kiss, and a tender kiss. For all they knew, it may have been a kiss goodbye, their very last. When it was over, and their souls had taken their fill of each other, Rukia turned away and threw the hood of her cloak over her head.

"We'll get through this," Ichigo declared to retreating back. "I promise."

He heard a sniffle, and Rukia cleared her throat before replying in a cracked tone, "I hope so. Farewell, Ichigo."

And with that, Rukia took her leave of his cell. Ichigo stared after her, the key to his cell in his hand, and the key to his heart growing further away with every step Rukia took. She'd away from the court for far too long as it was, and as she ascended the steps that led up to the squad thirteen headquarters, she could've sword she felt her heart chipping away, leaving little fragments behind as it fought to burst from her chest and return to the man she loved.

 _'Maybe I broke your heart, Ichigo… I don't know. But you certainly broke mine.'_

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Nope, still not dead. Just dreadfully busy with life and work and stuff. This chapter had to be posted because I hit eight thousand words and decided it was getting crazy long. That said, we got lotsa good IchiRuki stuff in here. Take a shot every time you read the words heart, feelings, or emotions. If you don't die from alcohol poisoning, leave me a review. It'd be a treat to read your honest opinions.**_

 _ **But it's six in the morning and I have to catch some ZZZ's. I only read through this once, so go easy on the spelling and grammar.**_

 _ **Music!**_

 _ **Matt Maeson-Go Easy**_

 _ **YNW Melly ft. Kanye West- Mixed Personalities**_

 _ **XXXTentacion-Sad!**_

 _ **Sublime-Wrong Way**_

 _ **Matt Maeson-Grave Digger**_

 _ **Panic At The Disco-Collar Full**_

 _ **Thanks for reading.**_


	13. The Price of Power

The night grew older while Ichigo waited for the soft embrace of sleep to rise from his cot and claim him, but it was no use. His limbs vibrated with giddy energy. His entire being thrummed with excitement. Though he was caged like an animal, he couldn't remember ever being so happy.

He had just kissed Rukia for the second time. This first time, in the movie theater, had been cut short due to the arrival of Kamisaigaiku's guards. This one felt more complete, like a continuation of the first. This, coupled with Rukia's confession, kept him from closing his eyes and resting peacefully. He wanted to leap from his bed and do jumping jacks, or push-ups. He wanted to sprint as hard and fast as he could, shouting his love for Rukia at the top of his lungs.

The taste of her lips and the tightness of her arms about his shoulders were things he felt he could never forget. Every time he felt himself grow tired and doze off, the thought of Rukia's kiss pulled him away from the serene sleep he sought.

But as with all things, this too came to pass. The substitute soul reaper managed to fall asleep to the sound of cicadas outside his cell, and his dreams, as short lived as they were, became laced with images of a dark haired woman leading him along by the hand, smiling like she was the happiest girl in the world.

But his pleasant dreams paid no heed to the shadows that slinked across his cell.

They did not move like normal shadows. They flickered and writhed, reminiscent of a cloak in a nonexistent breeze, growing ever closer to the dozing young man.

The darkness solidified into a single humanoid shadow, bearing down on Ichigo as it extended a hand towards his face. And then, like a snake, it struck at him, clamping a hand over Ichigo's mouth as the prone figure woke with a muffled cry.

"MMPH!"

The prisoner thrashed this way and that in a panic, grasping for a sword that was nowhere to be found. He wrenched at the hand holding his face, but found that the grip was far too strong to break. Ichigo stared into the face of his attacker, and he froze on the spot, penetrated by eyes that would forever cause him to feel hopelessness.

Yhwach the Almighty was towering over him, his face as impassive and uncaring as it had been during his siege on the Soul King's palace. His odd mustache was just as bushy as Ichigo remembered. His hair was just as long and lustrous. But something was off… since when did the Almighty where sunglasses?

The hand holding shut Ichigo's jaw fell away, and the young man swallowed back his fear as a name came to mind.

"Zangetsu? Is that you?"

Slowly, Yhwach nodded, and his form shimmered. His robe, unlike that of the true Yhwach, seemed comprised of a strange maroon darkness that was always moving, shifting, and changing. Once his hand was no longer being used, it faded back into this void. Not even the Almighty could make his arms vanish on a whim. At least, it wasn't a power he'd ever displayed in front of Ichigo.

It had only been a year since Zangetsu had last manifested, but in that time, he appeared to have aged almost a decade. Even so, he did not look worn out or over the hill. If anything, he appeared as timeless and powerful as ever. He seemed to be in his prime, at the point where his incredible strength had been tempered by the wisdom of his age.

"It is good to see you again, Ichigo."

The orange haired man sat up and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, Yhwa- no, _Zangetsu_ , was still standing there.

"I'm not an illusion." The spirit said, as if he were reading Ichigo's thoughts, "I am here because you are in danger. They have locked me in an armory down the hall, but I can hear the guards talking. They say you will be executed tomorrow. We must escape as soon as we can."

Ichigo scratched his cheek lamely as he avoided meeting the spirit's eye. "Yeah… about that…"

"You mean to try and save Rukia?" Zangetsu asked, earning a surprised expression from his partner.

"Yeah, and- hold on, were you listening in on my conversations?"

The zanpakuto shrugged. "We are connected, Ichigo. I hear all that you hear. See all that you see, and feel all that you feel. A few stone walls do not change that."

Ichigo glowered skeptically, "If we're so in sync, then you know I can't just leave and abandon Rukia."

"I know your connection to her is almost as deep as your connection to me," Zangetsu said slowly, "and while I understand your love for her, I am able to look at things objectively, without having my thoughts clouded by my feelings. Aizen has escaped. All of your power was barely enough to stop him last time, and his connection with the Hogyku, while severed, only made him more powerful. I would not have my master die so soon after meeting him."

It had only been a year, but Ichigo could never forget the fateful moment he learned the truth of his past, his powers, and his Quincy heritage. To prevent Ichigo from growing too powerful, Yhwach had hidden away his true shinigami powers, instead lending him a proxy born of his rare combination of bloodlines. As a result, Ichigo's powers were not enough to battle the Almighty, and he had to awaken his true soul reaper powers, and his true zanpakuto along with them.

He had carried two blades, then; one for the old man, Zangetsu, and the other for his inner hollow. Shortly afterward, Yhwach had stolen his Quincy powers, and Ichigo's inner hollow along with them.

"Say, Zangetsu, I've been meaning to ask you something. Why are all my powers reverting to their original forms? And seriously, what's up with that 'stache? Those mutton chops are a little dated, don'tcha think?"

"This is simply how I look, but I believe that both of your questions stem from the same core issue." The zanpakuto spirit made himself comfortable, folding his legs and sitting cross-legged in midair. "As far as my form goes, Juha Bach's influence on your powers is something that you will never be rid of. In supplanting your power with his own, he was able to limit your growth, but he did not grant you powers you did not already have. He used your future potential as a mold, and bolstered your strength with his own."

Ichigo was contemplative for a while.

"So he essentially modeled the false Zangetsu after himself, and kept the powers the same?"

"Precisely. Your powers are not reverting to their original forms, you have only just managed to fully awaken them. You will notice your abilities are far superior to the ones you remember. This is also the reason for my appearing older to you. I am a visible symbol of your strength, and now that your spirit energy has stabilized and matured, you are able to utilize your true shinigami powers to their fullest extent."

So to put it plainly, Ichigo's powers were like cookie cutters, while Yhwach had supplied the cookie dough. It was a strange comparison, but perhaps he was just hungry. He hadn't touched the food Renji had given him, and he hadn't realized how much he'd missed Yuzu's cooking.

Though It was all a bit much for him to take in, Ichigo could feel the truth in Zangetsu's words resonating within his soul. It had taken the better part of a year, but he was finally able to use his power at its most lethal. And the best part was that this time, they were truly his powers.

"But if my powers are greater than they were before, couldn't I theoretically defeat Aizen?" Ichigo asked, trying to mask his desperation.

The old man smiled, revealing dazzling white teeth. "In terms of raw power, you may stand a slim chance. When you factor in hundreds of years of combat experience, and his ability to out-strategize every other soul reaper in the Sereitei, I'm afraid your odds of victory decrease substantially. Perhaps if we had more time to dedicate to proper study and training, you could bridge the gap between you and him. You have yet to find the limits of your potential, and your ability to adapt and grow is second to none. With enough planning, you could overcome and defeat Aizen… but there is still one thing that might thwart any of our plans to kill him."

Ichigo gnashed his teeth. Rukia was getting married the day after tomorrow. They had until then to figure out what to do. That was hardly enough time to come up with a counter measure… and according to Zangetsu, there was something Ichigo was already forgetting.

"What would that be?" he asked when no clear answer showed itself.

Zangetsu closed his eyes. He almost looked as though he was meditating. "Even though Aizen doesn't know everything about your bankai, he knows enough to stay one step ahead of anything you might do. Meanwhile, you have no idea as to the extent of Aizen's bankai."

The substitute shinigami felt as though the world had fallen out from underneath him. Vertigo took a hold as Ichigo came to grips with just how terrifying the prospect of Aizen's bankai was.

The Kyoka Suigetsu's shikai implemented an ability called 'Perfect Hypnosis.' It allowed Aizen to create flawless illusions that affected anyone whom had seen the blade of the sword in its shikai form, which was identical to its base form. It was a power so thoroughly overwhelming that it had felled multiple Captains at once. As soon as you were affected by it, your senses could not be trusted, and you may as well be a puppet dancing in the palm of Aizen's hand.

'Just like Rukia, and everyone else is now,' Ichigo realized bitterly.

So then, with a power like Kyoka Suigetsu's 'Perfect Hypnosis' under already his belt, what could Aizen's bankai entail? While Ichigo could rely on Aizen to be able to recount intimate battle data about Zangetsu's bankai, he had no idea where to even begin as far as Aizen's abilities. Could it truly be that his power had another tier that was completely unused due to his already god-level abilities?

The thought made Ichigo break out in a cold sweat. Yhwach had taught him hopelessness and futility, but Aizen had been the first person Ichigo truly feared. There was no comparison. While the Almighty had to be destroyed for the sake of the world, the bad blood between Aizen and Ichigo flowed like a raging red river.

Thinking back on his last encounter with the man, Ichigo recalled, through the haze of the hollow's recollections, his bout with Aizen. Throughout their battle, the impostor's smile had never wavered. He had been completely and utterly in control, and he hadn't even drawn his sword.

Another memory surfaced, this one much clearer than the others. It was Aizen's face, seen through the shimmering light from the Ward of the Sprit King. His eyes were wide with surprise, and his calm smile was gone, replaced by a frown. Blood trickled down his cheek from a small cut Ichigo had made by piercing the Ward with his Tensa Zangetsu.

"Hey, Zangetsu-" Ichigo said suddenly.

"No."

The young man blinked, utterly floored by the zanpakuto's response. He'd been about to inquire about the memory, to see if he couldn't gain some insight as to how he'd managed to penetrate that damned Ward.

"No what? I was just gonna ask-"

"You want to know how I pierced the Ward, but it was not I who did. If you wish to know about that, you must ask the Tensa Zangetsu."

How could Ichigo forget the first time he'd ever conversed with the bankai spirit of his zanpakuto? He had been training in the dangai while his father had exhausted his spirit energy to stall for time in a desperate attempt to one up Aizen's Hogyoku-fueled transformation.

Whether it was the easiest way to transfer knowledge, or just a result of his zanpakuto spirit's tempestuous disposition, he had come away from the encounter with a blade in his chest… and the ability to utilize the Final Getsuga.

With a conflicted sigh, he wondered if the bankai spirit had managed to grow as much as the older Zangetsu. The way his luck was going as of late, he'd probably end up getting stabbed again.

"Can I reach him from here? I don't have enough energy to enter my bankai form," lamented Ichigo.

The Zanpakuto spirit smiled again. It was slightly unnerving to see Yhwach's face smile, but when he spoke, he sounded much more like Zangetsu than the Almighty.

"Yes, you should be able to reach him, even if you can't manifest your bankai. Just like me, he is a part of you, and he has grown stronger and more connected to you with each manifestation of his power."

Zangetsu did not move from his spot. Ichigo mimicked the spirit's movements, crossing his legs and folding his hands in his lap as he slowed his breathing and stilled his mind. He'd never really considered meditation to be his strong suit, but having already contacted his bankai spirit once, he found the second time was much easier.

"Whaddya want, Kurosaki? I'm kinda busy, you know."

The Tensa Zangetsu would always be a bit of an enigma in Ichigo's eyes. Whereas Zangetsu was wise and logical, and often took on the role of a mentor, Tensa was immature and moody. To think they were two sides of the same sword was mind boggling. One would normally think their roles would be reversed.

Unlike Zangetsu, Tensa was clean shaven, with long dark hair then fell about his shoulders. His cheekbones and jaw were more pronounced than before, and his somewhat wiry frame was now lithe and strong. He appeared to be a little older than Ichigo, maybe in his very early twenties, but he wouldn't have looked out of place at a skate park, hanging out with the social outcasts and smoking cigarettes.

"You know, you could at least pretend to be happy to see me," Ichigo grumbled, inherently annoyed at all the needless hostility that had been directed at him as of late. It felt like everyone and their mother had a problem with him.

The spirit rolled his eyes, "You're right! How rude of me! Allow me to introduce myself to you, who have abruptly called me here with no warning! I'm Tensa Zengetsu, and I haven't even been a part of you for a whole year, but you whip me out whenever you've got a pissing contest to win! I don't know you, I don't care to know you, and I really don't care about you in any way shape or form! All my closest friends call me-"

"Alright, alright, I get it, you don't want to be here," the high schooler sighed.

"That's an understatement."

"I'll make this as short and sweet as I can. How did you manage to pierce the Ward Aizen was carrying?"

The frown lines on Tensa Zangetsu's face deepened as a shadow fell across his face. The emotions within his scowl (which would make any high school girl swoon) were easily interpreted by Ichigo, who felt as though he had known Tensa Zangetsu for years, due largely to their resonance as a soul reaper and a zanpakuto. Fear, desperation, and perhaps just a tinge of regret were all carefully concealed behind a veneer of distaste. When Tensa noticed Ichigo's eyes upon him, he readjusted his expression into a condescending smile.

"Grasping at power is a dangerous game, Ichigo. There is always a cost. The last time I gave you the power to beat Aizen, you had to sacrifice the ability to protect yourself and your friends. Defeating him again will take even more power, but what are you willing to sacrifice to obtain it?"

"In order to beat Aizen, I'll do whatever it takes."

The spirit leaned forward, his sinister smile widening, but the look in his eyes was far from mirthful. He was staring at Ichigo like a wolf stared at a helpless little lamb.

"You say that, but do you actually grasp the situation? Unlike before, your powers have reached maturity. If you were to lose them to defeat Aizen, there would be no getting them back again. You're playing for keeps this time around, and you stand to lose much more than just your shinigami powers. Your life, your soul, your very humanity could be at stake. After doing so much to thwart Aizen, what if you were to end up taking his place? What if you decided to try and usurp the Spirit King? What if you, the conquering hero, ended up becoming the very enemy you swore to destroy?"

Ichigo felt like he'd been punched in the gut, but the malign twinkle in Tensa Zangetsu's eye did not waver. As a piece of Ichigo, and an extension of his power, it only stood to reason that the sword could pinpoint all of his weak spots.

"Don't compare me to that bastard, Aizen," Ichigo hissed. "I'm _nothing_ like him."

"Actually, the two of you are eerily similar," Tensa pointed out, counting off reasons on his fingers. "You both have a disregard for consequences, you both carry disdain for authority and aristocrats. You're both far more than you appear to be at first glance, and possess the ability to evolve and adapt to any situation, which makes you two very capable fighters. You even look sort of similar. Strong jaw, messy hair, confident smile…"

"SHUT UP!"

The infuriated young man took a swing at his zanpakuto spirit, who stopped the blow effortlessly by placing his index finger against Ichigo's fist.

"See what I mean?" Tensa said playfully, "you never stop to think about your actions! You called me here to ask for help only to try and hit me. With a temper like that, you're leaving yourself susceptible to the darkness within you. And when it finally has its day, it won't be pretty, believe me. I've worked hand in hand with your other side, Ichigo. I know the rage from which you draw your strength, the endless font of seething hatred that you direct towards protecting your little bubble of happiness. Thus far you've managed to scrape through by throwing yourself headlong into danger whenever your friends were in trouble. If you can't learn to let go, if you can't learn when to cut your losses and fall back- then you'll end up losing more than just your life. That is the price of your power, Ichigo. Knowing that you have so much to lose, and understanding that you may not survive the training, let alone your battle with Aizen, do you still want to know how deep this rabbit hole goes?"

Ichigo's clenched fist dropped to his side, and he turned his eyes to the floor. No matter what, it sounded as though his odds of escaping unscathed were slim to none. He was sure of his convictions, though. As long as he was in his right mind, he would never turn into Aizen. Not ever.

"Yeah, I still need to know. Even if I end up dying, as long as I can take Aizen with me, that's fine. I just need the power to protect the people I love. I'd give my life to keep Rukia safe, not even my inner hollow can change that."

"It's funny you should mention your inner hollow. He was the one who managed to break through Aizen's Ward."

"Wait, so can you help me or not?!" Ichigo asked exasperatedly.

Tensa Zangetsu let loose a hearty laugh. "Of course. At the moment, I'm the only person that _can_ help you. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you try to go up against your inner hollow, you will most assuredly die, and I'm the only one who can make sure that doesn't happen."

* * *

Orihime Inoue had never felt so horrible in her entire life. A week after trying to kiss Ichigo, Yuzu had texted her and told her that Ichigo hadn't come home that night. There was also something about Renji showing up piss drunk a few days before that, but Orihime wasn't exactly sure how that tied in. It sounded more like a social call than a rally to arms, and if something serious had happened, Ichigo would totally let Orihime know… right?

Somehow, she doubted that.

After she and Ichigo had very nearly kissed, Orihime had been steadfastly avoiding him, not that it was difficult, as the high school had been closed, and any free time they got was primarily spent working or sleeping.

Still, when she had heard Ichigo had disappeared, she had tried searching for him. Enlisting the help of Uryu, who was quite an accomplished tracker, she'd managed to trace his spiritual pressure to Kisuke Urahara's shop. The shopkeeper had then told them that Ichigo had left for the Seireitei.

It didn't take a genius to know why he had left. He was going after Rukia. Why else would he leave Orihime, Chad, and Uryu in the world of the living?

But that seemed to be the least of Orihime's issues. On top of her disastrous last three work days, during which she'd burnt quite a few buns and been written up for slacking off, she was exhausted from a lack of sleep.

As much as she hated herself for loving Ichigo, she just couldn't help it. There was chemistry between them, their interests were aligned, and after spending so much time together, it only felt right.

But at the same time, she somehow knew that Ichigo would never love her back. Not with Rukia around. It had seemed like a sign when Rukia had been revealed to be engaged to someone else. Orihime was sure she'd finally have her moment to shine; that Ichigo would be a fool to not realize how good they were together.

She couldn't get the thought out of her head. She remembered standing so close to him, throwing caution to the winds and abandoning all pretense as she made her motives very clear. She recalled the struggle in Ichigo's eyes, and how he'd looked equal parts terrified and excited. She remembered his eyes drifting closed, and the way his head had tilted. Everything about their almost kiss was lodged in her brain as if someone had driven a spike into it. The memory had been responsible for many of the mistakes that had gotten her written up at work. She would doze off while the bread charred, daydreaming about that kiss, and imagining a world in which it had come to fruition.

With any luck, meeting up with Chad and Uryu for lunch would ease some of her stress. Seeing her friends always made her feel better, and Uryu always found a way to lift her spirits. He always told the best jokes.

"Orihime Inoue?" asked a formal, familiar voice.

She paused, looking behind her to find a woman she knew of, but had very little interaction with. Nanao Ise stood there, dressed in a curve cutting business suit. She carried a clipboard in the crook of her arm, and wouldn't have looked out of place at a law firm or a business meeting. With her glasses and tight bun, she positively radiated a woman-at-work vibe that made Orihime do a double take.

"I… I know you, don't I?" Orihime asked, tilting her head.

"Perhaps you know of me but I'm not sure we've ever been formally introduced," Nanao told her, carried forward by the click of her heels against pavement. Extending a hand to the younger woman, she said, "My name is Nanao Ise, Lieutenant of Squad One, Assistant to the Captain-Commander. I'm here to inform you that Ichigo Kurosaki has been taken prisoner for attempting to assassinate a nobleman. Is there somewhere we can talk?"

* * *

Perhaps a fast food joint isn't best the place to deliver bad news, but that did not stop Nanao.

After being asked to join Orihime at lunch with her friends, she sat in a cramped booth next to Chad, while Uryu sat in a booth on the other side of the table with Orihime. Once their food had been delivered, she began to speak in a low voice.

"As Ichigo's closest friends, the three of you have a right to know what is going on. My captain is busy at the moment trying to get Central 46 to be reasonable and repeal their decision, but things are looking more and more dire with each passing hour. That's why he sent me instead of coming here himself."

"Back up a moment," Chad rumbled in his deep, swarthy voice. "Exactly _what_ did Central 46 decide? Have they already held a trial and everything? Maybe it's just me, but Ichigo doesn't seem like the kind of person to do something like that out of the blue. He only lifts his sword to help those in need."

Orihime noted how Chad's brow furrowed. She knew a little of the history between Chad and Ichigo, but there was most certainly something there: a comradery that was close to brotherhood. It was something she might have expected from people who'd served in the military. The way they always looked out for each other was proof enough of that. Her heart leapt up in furious agreement of Chad's words, but she said nothing. The thought of Ichigo trying to kill a nobleman unsettled her, and made her feel queasy.

"They held a trial last night," the lieutenant replied, unwilling to look up from her food. "Ichigo Kurosaki will be executed for his crimes at dawn tomorrow."

Uryu, whom had been sitting there quietly, with his hands folded before his face, suddenly chimed in. "Maybe it's just me, but something feels off. Ms. Ise, would it be possible for us to journey back to the Seireitei with you? We'd like to try and clear our friend's good name, and if the worst comes… I think we'd all like to be able to say goodbye."

Nanao met Uryu's dark eyes and blushed furiously. "T-there's no need to call me 'Ms. Ise.' Nanao is fine."

Orihime noticed the Lieutenant's reaction and glared at Uryu, who nodded at her, looking determinedly grim. He then turned his gaze to Chad, who seemed to understand what was going on, and nodded as well.

There was no way they would let Ichigo die. They had all grown more powerful over the years, and come hell or high water, they would fight to the last to save their friend. If their fortunes were reversed, Ichigo would have done the same for each of them.

Nanao seemed to regain her composure, and she pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "Yes, the Head Captain has already gotten proper clearance. I will be bringing you three with me when I return to the Seireitei. We haven't much time, so the sooner we leave the better."

Though none of the three high schoolers looked particularly hungry anymore, they all decided to eat the food they had paid for. Uryu kept up a polite conversation with Nanao, which irked Orihime for reasons she didn't quite understand. It's not like she was jealous or anything.

"Ah, Uryu, you have soy sauce on your face," Orihime took up a napkin and gently dabbed her tongue with it before cleaning the corner of Uryu's mouth. He froze, his burger inches from his lips as fire burned in his navel and worked its way up to his face, turning him redder than a tomato. Nanao peered between Orihime and Uryu suspiciously, her eyes narrowed. Chad nervously slid away from the woman, who radiated anger such that it could only be described as murderous. Whatever was going on, he knew better than to try and butt in. Doing so would only make Orihime and Nanao angrier, and both of them would direct their fury at him.

After finishing their lunch, the group made their way to Urahara's shop, where they found Tessai and Urahara waiting next to an open Senkaimon.

"I see you found Ichigo's pals." Urahara said, welcoming them with a tip of his hat and a sly smile. "That's good, I'm sure they'll be able to clear all this up."

"Kurosaki faces the death penalty. I'm not sure how you can remain cheerful in such a situation. You do realize how stressed all of his friends must be at a time like this?" Nanao asked, gesturing to the high schoolers trailing behind her.

"Nonsense! These three know better than anyone that Ichigo will be just fine!" the shopkeeper insisted, giving them all a hearty wink. "Isn't that right, guys?"

Orihime, Uryu, and Chad all smiled. As much as they wanted to believe that everything would turn out fine, it was hard to keep the hope. From the sound of things, the trial had already ended. There was little they could do except wait for the inevitable… unless they decided to take matters into their own hands.

The ditzy redhead amongst them blinked. Suddenly, she realized what it was Chad and Uryu had been exchanging strange glances for during lunch. They were fully prepared to break Ichigo out of prison. They were ready to do whatever it took to save him. Orihime had never been more scared, and yet she felt sure that right there, at their side, was where she belonged. It was only right she return the favor, and rescue Ichigo.

"Yeah," Orihime murmured, "he'll be fine."

Another voice shouted from behind them. "Take your time! It's not often I get to have this much fun!"

That's when the very man they were about to try and rescue leapt down the stairs into the desert-esque training grounds, coming to a halt before his friends. Orihime's heart pounded, and she felt herself go faint for a moment. Then, without warning, Ichigo grabbed Orihime and pulled himself into her embrace.

"Oh, Orihime! It's been so long since I've seen you! You look absolutely ravishing today! And you smell so nice!"

"I-I-I-I-Ichigooooo?!"

The orange haired young man had driven his face into her chest, and was rubbing against her with no regard as to her personal space. Only one thing was certain: this was most definitely _not_ Ichigo.

Three shadows rose from behind the pervert, red eyed and filled with righteous fury, they all brought their fists down on the top of his head, driving him to his knees before Orihime, who was stunned from the intimate contact.

"""Dammit Kon! Stop being such a goddamned creep!"""

Three voices mingled in outrage, and the shadows of dark intent that surrounded these beings vanished to reveal Uryu, Nanao, and Yoruichi, all of whom had risen to the occasion of defending Orihime's honor.

"Ow," Kon growled piteously, rubbing the top of his head, which was swollen with lumps.

"O-oh, it's only Kon," the redhead mumbled dejectedly, crossing her arms to shield herself from the pervert.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Kon asked, standing up and looking at Orihime with Ichigo's eyes.

"It means you're nothing but a creep," Yoruichi reiterated, taking Kon by the collar of his shirt and shaking him. "If you want to stay here, you have to behave, otherwise I'll send you to live with Karin and Yuzu and Isshin. You recall how carefully you have to tread in the Kurosaki household, don't you, Kon?"

The mod soul in Ichigo's body scoffed, but there was fear in his eyes. If he had to stay in the Kurosaki house, then he would be stuck living Ichigo's boring life. He'd have to spend every single day being someone he wasn't, and living in dreaded fear of Yuzu, who was the owner of his stuffed animal form.

"I think it's about time someone taught Kon what it means to be a gentleman," Uryu threatened, "he needs to learn about boundaries, and the proper way to treat a lady."

"I second that," Nanao said, crossing her arms.

Yoruichi grinned. "You hear that, Kon? It seems like you'll finally have your day. I'll spend all the time Ichigo is gone drilling you on how to treat women. And if that doesn't work, I'll rip you out of Ichigo, throw you in the cutest stuffed animal I can find, and leave you on Yuzu's bed as a present from her boyfriend. She'll never let you out of her sight, then."

"B-but that's only if I fail, right?"

"We'll see. Come along now! We have a lot of work to do!"

With that, Yoruichi pulled Kon away, dragging him towards the stairs that led up to the shop by his elbow.

"Bye Orihime!" Kon called.

"I'll try and catch you all up," Yoruichi said, waving at the high schoolers. "I'm sure you guys will need some backup on the other side!"

"Yoruichi will be coming with us?" Chad asked, turning to Urahara.

"Yep. No one knows how to gather intel like Yoruichi. If anyone can help Ichigo right now, it's her."

Through the Senkaimon, Uryu could sense monumental amounts of reishi. It pulsed and throbbed like a heartbeat, as if all that energy had a life of its own. The sooner they entered the portal, the better off they would be. The thought of Ichigo stuck in a cell, fretting over his fate made Uryu smirk. He would have to give the substitute soul reaper endless amounts of shit for getting thrown in jail, but he could only do so after he'd busted him out.

Nanao took point, leading the way into the Senkaimon as Chad, Uryu, and Orihime exchanged determined glances. "Follow me, everyone. I'll take you all to see Captain Kyoraku."

* * *

In the Seireitei, everything was in an uproar.

People raced to and fro. Soul reapers called out for reinforcements. Orihime wondered what exactly was going on. Was Rukia's wedding happening? Were there battle drill being done? Was there a festival today? Or had hollows shown up somewhere?

Nanao led them through the chaos, tracing a path through the small city of shinigami without missing a beat. She expertly maneuvered them through several passing battalions of fighters from the Eleventh Division before crossing the street, cutting through an alleyway, and finally arriving at the base of the steps that led up to the Captain-Commander's office. The way Nanao seemed to cut a swathe of neat, orderly precision through the chaos was as masterful as a sword stroke, though in all the time the high schoolers had known her, she never carried one. Until now.

After passing through the dangai, Nanao had reverted to wearing her shihakusho. Her clip board was still in the crook of her arm, and she peered down at it every now and again, is if the numbers on it might have changed. On her back, she carried what appeared to be a large two handed sword with a rectangular blade that was wrapped in an expensive decorative bamboo sheath. It almost looked too pretty to be used on a battlefield, and looked more like it belonged in a museum.

She threw out her arm, catching Chad off guard and knocking the wind out of him as another battalion, this time of healers from Squad Four, passed through the street, blocking their way forward. After the procession had rounded a corner, the Lieutenant checked both ways before sprinting up the stairs to the Head Captain's quarters.

Orihime and Nanao ran side by side, neck and neck as they raced up the long flight of stairs two at a time. Uryu plucked at the sleeve of Chad's shirt and gestured for him to slow his pace so that they might speak in private.

"What do you think is going on here?" Uryu asked, looking out over the Seireitei from his vantage point on the stairs.

Chad followed the Quincy's gaze. "No idea. Let's just stay focused on finding Ichigo, for now."

* * *

Captain Kyoraku had a bottle of very old, very rare whiskey stashed away in his desk. He'd been saving it for his five hundredth birthday, but with things looking as they were, he figured he might as well enjoy it while he had the chance.

He'd only just poured himself a glass when Nanao, Orihime, and then Chad, and Uryu burst into his office. Nanao slammed the door behind them, brushed her bangs out of her face, and stood straight backed, facing her Captain as she gave her report.

"Captain Kyoraku! I've found Ichigo Kurosaki's compatriots and brought them here to help with our investigation!"

The Captain grimaced, looking quite bemused at how Fate was playing out. Kicking his feet up on his desk, he gingerly sipped at the alcohol, letting it skate over his tongue and into his gullet. It was hardly the way to drink such a refined whiskey, but he wasn't drinking to savor it, he was drinking because everything was falling apart.

He found himself wishing Ukitake were there at that moment. In such stressful situations, he always had a grain of wisdom to share. Now, he supposed, it was his turn to play the mediator, but the idea of breaking the news to Ichigo's friends made him bite the inside of his cheek so hard that he tasted blood. They would find out sooner or later.

"C-Captain? Is everything alright?" his niece asked, her tone much gentler than normal.

The Head Captain adjusted his expression, careful to let none of his grim tidings spill over into it as he surveyed the three pale-faced young adults before him. These were all people whom had fought in the war. If anyone could handle the news, it was them.

"I'm afraid not," the old man sighed, setting aside his glass of whiskey and putting his hands behind his head. "It seems I've called you all here for naught. I had hoped you might be able to help me clear Ichigo's good name, but-"

He was interrupted by a frenzied knock at the door, and Captain Soifon burst into the room. Ignoring Nanao, Uryu, Chad, and Orihime, the petite woman took a knee before the Captain-Commander's desk.

"I have a report, sir," the Second Division captain grumbled. "I'm afraid we've lost sight of him."

Kyoraku gave a shaky chuckle. " Well, I hardly expected him to stick around after busting out of prison."

Realization dawned over the faces of Ichigo's friends, and the Captain-Commander turned to them. The cat was really out of the bag now.

"Sorry, kids," he said quietly. "I'd hoped you could help get Ichigo's charges dropped, but he's broken out of jail and is currently on the run. Even if he didn't appear to be wholly guilty before, I'm afraid there's almost nothing we can do to save him, now."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **What the- another chapter? One that didn't take a month and a half to write, and left everyone unsatisfied?! GASP!**_

 _ **Now, I've been trying to look at the story so far, and at the moment I've decided it was turning into a goddamned mushy mess. It's literally that one meme where it's just "Oh, Rukia!" and "Oh, Ichigo!" over and over. So I decided to change pace, get some other characters involved, and begin to explain away my bullshit, like why Ichigo's powers are the way they are. This will also tie in later, in ways that I'm still mulling over.**_

 _ **I also painstakingly went through the timeline for this story, counted out the days, and realized I had missed one, so I fixed it. I think I've got that squared away. Things are looking to get pretty busy for me again, but I figured I'd try to get this posted, and hopefully that will give me time to figure out where to take the story from here. I've been trying to get this damned third eye to work, but it's kinda spotty.**_

 _ **In response to a review from Lovehates833, you certainly have a point. That said, people do stupid shit when they'**_ _ **re all caught up in their feelings. It totally doesn't have anything to do with my bad writing or my stubborn pride, or my love for a hot, messy story.**_

 _ **In response to Achalida, I'm glad SOMEONE liked that scene. As far as Rukia's rescue goes, I already have some ideas for that scene. Can't say more than that.**_

 _ **And to everyone else who reviewed this story, thanks a bunch. You keep me young, girls, you keep me young. A DURDURDURDURDUR**_

 _ **I'll hit ya with some tunes, and then I think I'm signing off for the moment.**_

 _ ***Music***_

 _ **Orpheus-Shawn James (he's got a new album, and the vocals are smoother than honey)**_

 _ **Atlas-Keshi (This song gets me in my feelings...also makes me think of Ichigo, hungover in jail)**_

 _ **Uncomfortable-Chase Atlantic**_

 _ **Intoxicated-The Cab (you guys should have seen this coming omg why hasn't anyone tried to stop me)**_

 _ **Love Won't Sleep- Lostboycrow (I'm sure I've already shared this one, but I was listening to it the other day and I thought 'Holy shit, Rukia is pretty much Ichigo's little ghost queen')**_

 _ **Till next time.**_


	14. With Friends Like These

As Ichigo ran for his life, his mind was all a buzz with various matters that would need to be dealt with. Being a fugitive somehow made what he had to do clear, as if a fog had been lifted from his gaze. First, and easily the most important, was Rukia. Saving her was his true objective, but there were things he needed to do, first. He needed somewhere he could hide, so that he might regroup and reconvene with the Tensa Zangetsu. Still, it was hard for him to focus on the task at hand when all he was able to think about was her.

"There you are!" a shinigami shouted.

He was a younger soul reaper, probably around the same age as Ichigo when he first gained his powers. The spirit energy of the Seireitei focused around the young man, who poured everything he had into his zanpakuto. Without hesitation, Ichigo slashed at the soul reaper, and he fell to the ground, lifeless.

Zangetsu hadn't even touched him. Ichigo had simply overloaded the boy's reiryoku with his own spirit energy, which acted sort of like a stun gun. He'd wake up in a few minutes with an acute headache, a bad case of the jitters, and the smell of ozone in his nostrils.

With a kick, Ichigo flash stepped, appearing the next district over.

But his thoughts still pursued him.

He'd been meditating ever since he started talking to Tensa Zangetsu, and had only awoken from his reverie a couple hours ago. The sword had explained much to him during the course of the night, and had even shined some light on the powers of his inner hollow, who had managed to breach the Ward of the Spirit King. For the sake of his humanity, Ichigo could only hope that Tensa Zangetsu's warnings weren't as dire as they seemed, or else the only other way to beat Aizen was….

* * *

 _"Be wary, Ichigo," the spirit had told him. "This power must only be used as a last resort, when you're sure Aizen is vulnerable. You would be better off surrendering to your hollow than to ever use this technique."_

 _"So it's a one shot move?"_

 _"Yes. It's a power I can grant you, a technique that will destroy Aizen… but you will lose your life in the process."_

* * *

Even so, he had not one, but two potential ways to defeat with Aizen. All he needed to do was work out the kinks, and figure out a time to strike. In order to do that, he needed to find somewhere he could go. He needed somewhere to meditate, so that he could continue his introspection.

The sun was almost directly overhead, so it was just after midday. He only had until tomorrow to perfect his strategy, and try to beat Aizen. A small voice in the back of his brain whispered that he didn't have long to live, but he shook himself mentally and kept running.

"I've found him," someone shouted, taking Ichigo by surprise and waving to a group of compatriots that quickly closed in and encircled the rogue substitute shinigami.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

Spinning on his heel, Ichigo dragged his blade in a circle. He focused upon the power of the attack, tuning it so that it did not kill his opponents. Even if they were currently his enemies, he could not bring himself to use lethal force. He _could_ control his inner hollow. He would _not_ turn into Aizen. He _would_ find a way to save Rukia, no matter how high the cost to his own wellbeing may rise.

"HYAARGH!"

One of the soul reapers, a little more experienced than the others, had dodged the attack. He was upon Ichigo in a flash, swinging his sword, which abruptly turned into a nodachi as he released his zanpakuto. It was long, and the sudden growth of the blade caught Ichigo by surprise. He pulled back, barely managing to step out of range as the blade soared so close to his face that he could see dried blood on its razor sharp edge.

The swing missed, and the soul reaper was pushed off balance. Ichigo jumped and twisted in midair, planting a kick on the back of the soul reaper's head. He crumpled, and Ichigo flash stepped again, each time getting further and further away from the Seireitei.

He was well past the Rukon district, in the countryside beyond the bounds of the city, when his instincts whispered that he was in grave danger.

He came to a stop in a field of knee high grass that rasped and churned in a gentle breeze, bracing himself for an attack that would surely come. Daffodils and violets, eager for the touch of the sun, grew tall and straight through the grass, giving the emerald field a few pinpricks of color. If it hadn't been for the sense of impending danger, Ichigo might have considered it a beautiful place for a picnic or a camping trip.

"It would seem the reports aren't very accurate," spoke an infuriating voice that made Ichigo ball his fist around Zangetsu's hilt. "Your ability to sense the reiatsu of others and manipulate your own are far more pronounced than I'd have expected of you, _substitute_ shinigami."

The rustle from behind him let Ichigo know where his enemy was. He pivoted, coming face to face with a young man with messy blonde hair, dazzling green eyes, and a pale scar running from his earlobe to his chin. The sleeves of his navy shihakusho were rolled up to expose lean arms. His sword glimmered in the sunlight, and the heat haze surrounding it made the blade appear wavy and fluid.

Kazue, the youngest of the Kamisaigaiku clan's guardians stood roughly twenty feet away from Ichigo, his sword as bare as his intentions.

"I take pride in exceeding expectations." Ichigo said, keeping his face as even as he could as he put his blade between himself and his enemy.

"So I hear. Your unpredictability makes you a terror on the front lines. You played a pivotal role in bringing down two of the greatest threats to the Seireitei in the last thousand years. I'd never have expected that from a substitute soul reaper either."

Ichigo's lips became a thin line as he fought the urge to say some choice words to Kazue. As liberating as it would be to inform the blonde of his master's true identity in the rudest way possible, Kazue would never believe that Kamisaigaiku was actually Aizen, and swearing would only escalate things. If Ichigo had to defend himself from an attack, it would be like sending up a signal flare with his reiatsu, and every shinigami within ten miles would see it.

"So, what brings you out here, Kazue?" Ichigo wondered. "I doubt Kamisaigaiku would send anyone after me. Least of all not someone as hot tempered as you."

"You speak as if you know my lord," Kazue raised an eyebrow.

"Heh. Yeah, I suppose I do, in a manner of speaking. I know for a fact that he didn't order you to come out here. He knows my abilities, and he's well aware of the fact that you can't stop me. I suppose the real question is how you knew I would be here."

"I am the youngest of Lord Kamisaigaiku's chosen elite; those who guard his person and estate at all times. We are hand-picked from the most skilled members of his clan's personal stealth force, which is at the complete disposal of the Spirit King himself. We are trained relentlessly in tracking, espionage, assassination, intelligence gathering, and reconnaissance. Each member of our organization is at least as skilled as the Seireitei's Second Division commander. I just looked at where our forces were, judged your pattern of escape, and determined that this was the most common point of withdrawal in every scenario."

"Well, it was nice of you to come and see me off," Ichigo turned away from the blonde man, "you can tell Kamisaigaiku that I'll be back soon enough. He and I have unfinished business."

"Do not turn your back on me, Ichigo Kurosaki," Kazue growled.

Ichigo stopped in his retreat, looking up to note how the sun was quickly obscured behind cloud cover. The wind picked up, tugging at the baggy sleeves and legs of his shihakusho. Ichigo looked back at Kazue, who had a shining yellow aura of reiatsu wrapped about his person. It almost appeared as though he were standing in the center of a miniature sun, with small golden flares of energy curling off of him. The energy licked at the daffodils and grass, charring them and turning them to dust as the blade of his sword grew even hotter.

Ichigo bared his teeth in an angry snarl. Kazue was strong, as expected of someone born and raised in the Soul King's Palace, where the reishi was far more concentrated. His true concern, however, was that such a spiritual pressure could probably be sensed all the way from the Seireitei.

Kazue had just alerted every shinigami in the Soul Society as to Ichigo's location, and they would be there in a matter of minutes.

* * *

There was nothing for it: Ichigo would have to defeat Kazue as quickly as possible to make good on his escape. Crouching low, he sprung forward like a runner on takeoff. Zangetsu keened as it severed the air, and he braced the back of the blade against his shoulder, seeking to end the battle with one blow to Kazue's midsection. As people were already rallying to their location, the blonde could stand to lose a little blood before they got there, and his reiryoku was too strong for Ichigo to overload in his weakened state. He hadn't had the time to fully recuperate from the energy sapping prison cell he'd been caged in.

Steel clashed on steel, but the sound was not at all what Ichigo expected. It was more like Ichigo had struck an iron girder rather than Kazue's sword. Not only that, but Kazue hadn't moved an inch to defend himself.

"Devour yourself, Mugen Mizuchi," incanted the blonde man.

The reishi surrounding the elite stealth force member surged as he activated his shikai. Ichigo heard a hissing, and noted the sword that had stopped his attack was moving of its own accord.

The blade of Kazue's sword had become hot, moving like a serpent as it twisted, bent, and stretched to defend its master, who still hadn't moved an inch.

"Behold, the power of the Mugen Mizuchi, the Infinity Serpent… the Ouroboros."

Steel warped and disfigured, and the blade turned into a giant snake with glittering golden eyes, shining steel scales, and razor sharp fangs. The snake also radiated heat, which distorted the air and made its movements difficult to follow.

The enormous snake reared back before driving at Ichigo. He parried, and the snake clamped its jaws around Zangetsu. It elongated, stretching from where it connected to the hilt of Kazue's sword as it forced Ichigo across the field, tearing up grass, daffodils, and violets as he pushed with all of his might against the serpent.

His heel hit a rock, and pain arched through his leg as he felt his ankle break. Ichigo fell back into the grass, and the pressure against Zangetsu lifted. Recovering from his daze, Ichigo saw two hateful golden eyes staring at him. A metallic tongue scented the air, and then the snake struck.

Pushing off of the ground, Ichigo rolled to the side and lashed out at the serpent with Zangetsu. Sparks flew, but the beheading strike barely managed to dent the snake's scales. Ichigo cursed his idiocy. Cutting the snake would be equivalent to breaking Kazue's zanpakuto. That would be no easy feat to accomplish with someone so powerful.

Though his ankle was broken, Ichigo utilized flash step, appearing well behind Kazue. He panted, sweat beading his brow as pain lanced through his calf. There was no way he could walk on his injured ankle, and no way to heal it with things as desperate as they were. Kazue turned, scanning the field for Ichigo, who knelt in the grass.

"You know, if you're going to hide, you should cover up that hair of yours," he jibed. "It's like a flag telling me exactly where you are."

"I'm not hiding," Ichigo countered, getting to his feet and using his sword as a makeshift crutch.

 _'Sorry, Zangetsu. I'll clean off your blade and give you a nice polish later,_ ' he promised mentally, noting the twinge of unhappiness radiating from the sword's spirit.

Kazue wielded his zanpakuto like a whip, and sent the serpent flying at Ichigo with a casual flick of his arm. Something in the way it moved reminded Ichigo of Renji's bankai. Just before the serpent's fangs could sink into his flesh, Ichigo rolled to the side. When he got back to his feet, however, the snake had already changed direction, and was moments away from striking him. There was no time for him to react. With a victorious hiss, the Mugen Mizuchi sank its fangs into Ichigo's shoulder.

The substitute soul reaper was no stranger to pain. He'd suffered his share of defeats, and learned from each one of them. Instead of thinking of himself as a failure, he took each one as a lesson, turning his pain into power. It was in these dark moments that he learned the meaning of perseverance. He realized that the things that truly mattered weren't the achievements or accolades he'd earned. The real prize- the _real_ reward for pushing through until the very bitter end- were the precious moments he got to spend with his family and friends.

Rukia. Orihime. Chad. Uryu. Yuzu. Karin. Dad. All of them were precious. All of the stupid jokes and meaningless bickering were things he cherished. The memories they'd made together, and the dire moments where all had seemed lost; each of these was far more important to Ichigo than he could describe. They gave him a reason to hope, to persist well beyond all that was good and decent.

It was a shame such moments of clarity only came to him when he was engulfed in pain the likes of which would kill lesser men. Ichigo felt his muscles shred, and his collar bone fractured with a sickening crack as the snake's jaws did their work.

"GYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Ichigo wasn't sure who was screaming. Was it him? He couldn't remember where he was, or what he was doing. His vision had become clouded with spots that danced in the darkness. His wounds burned with hellfire as his skin, sinew, and muscle were serrated by razor sharp fangs. Blood ran down his chest and side, soaking his shihakusho with sticky crimson. The scent of iron filled his nostrils, and his throat burned… yes, the screaming was most definitely his.

So why did it feel as though the pain was lessening. Was… was he dying?

The short answer was no. Death would not come so easily, but something else- something _far_ worse, was bubbling to the surface, and threatening to engulf Ichigo.

 ** _VASTO LORDE!_**

The words flickered behind his eyes, but in his pain, Ichigo couldn't quite remember what they meant. He felt as though it was on the tip of his tongue, but what was it? Why did those words give him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach? And why did they also offer the chance at salvation that had seemed lost the instant the snake had buried its fangs into his flesh?

 _"Do not give in, Ichigo! Remember what I told you! Your humanity could be lost if you cannot resist the hollowfication! If you give in here, then Aizen will win!"_

That voice was familiar. It brought to mind a broody twenty-something year old with long dark hair, and even darker eyes. They had spoken to each other for hours last night, though time seemed to be a skewed concept. It had only been a matter of seconds since his skin had been rent by the serpent, but it felt like years.

 _"Listen to Tensa,"_ said another voice, this one more mature. _"Activate your bankai. A little pain will not stop you. Remember what it is you fight for."_

Rukia. Dad. Yuzu. Karin. Chad. Orihime. Uryu.

Feeling crept back into Ichigo's fingers, and he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, which was moments from slipping out of his hand. The flashing letters behind his eyes, and the bubbling darkness that rose to engulf him seemed to lessen. He felt air in his lungs. Time seemed to speed up marginally. He tasted blood in his mouth and felt it run down his chest, staining him with gory scarlet.

"Rukia…"

An image of her appeared in his mind, drawn from one of his memories. She was sleeping, laying across his chest as she drooled onto his shirt. Her dark, silken hair was messy, and her pale skin seemed to glow in the light of the moon pouring in from his window.

His scream of pain changed, turning into a defiant bellow. The fire in his shoulder acted as an anchor, a crutch for his consciousness. He latched onto it, using the pain as a ladder as another fire roared to life in his chest. The flickering red letters behind his eyes dimmed and vanished, replaced with another word that he knew and recognized. Opening his mouth, Ichigo proclaimed-

"BANKAI!"

There was no tornado of power. The change was instantaneous, like a snap of ones fingers. A shockwave bent all the tall grass away from Ichigo, and sent the trees on all sides of the clearing into a frenzy, as if they were trying to shake the leaves from their branches. The clouds obscuring the sun seemed to shrink away from him, as did the darkness in his inner world, leaving the sky as blue and clear as it had been before their fight. His eyes, though filled with unshed tears of unbridled agony, now carried a determination that seemed to magnify with each passing moment.

The snake adjusted its grip on his shoulder, and Ichigo winced, baring his teeth in a savage snarl. The Tensa Zangetsu's slim black blade was just the right size for what he was about to do. Angling the sword, he drove it into the snake's golden eye, and a strangled holler pierced the sunny field of wildflowers.

Kazue clamped a hand over his right eye, and blood dripped between his fingers, running down his cheek.

"You son of a-"

The snake let loose a screech, and withdrew its fangs from Ichigo's shoulder. Steaming blood rained down as the Mugen Mizuchi whipped its head this way and that, staining the daffodils red and soaking into the earth with a hiss as Ichigo vanished and reappeared inside Kazue's guard using his flash step.

It had been something he'd noticed before being bitten, but the snake protruding from the hilt of Kazue's zanpakuto was just his blade, which had changed shape. The longer it was, the less of a chance the blonde would be able to guard at close range. And with both the serpent and Kazue missing an eye, their combined guard would be lowered considerably. Their reaction time would be negligible in the face of an outright attack from Ichigo's bankai.

His pupils contracted as pain arced through his bitten shoulder like lightning. His broken ankle had been reduced to a dull ache, but he cast it all aside, fixated on that image of Rukia in his mind's eye. As Kazue tried to step back, surprised by Ichigo's sudden appearance, the substitute shinigami slashed him across his midsection with the Tensa Zangetsu. Aside from his own physical strength, he did nothing else to bolster the attack. He may have disliked Kazue, but that did not mean he could kill him in cold blood.

Kazue's good eye widened. He looked as though he couldn't believe what had just happened. He fell to his knees, and his sword rolled out of his palm and into the grass, the blade shrinking back into that of a normal katana.

"Y-you bastard," Kazue panted through gritted teeth.

"Shut up," Ichigo mumbled, "you'll be fine."

The blonde pulled his bloodied hand away from his eye, staring with disbelief at the blood that ran down his muscled forearms. "I'll get you back for this. I swear it."

But Ichigo's attention was currently elsewhere. Shadows began appearing all over as soul reapers arrived en mass, swords bared as they stared at the high schooler. It was too late for him to run.

"Get in line," Ichigo told him, his sword at the ready as he waited for someone to make a move.

"Ichigo!"

That voice caught his attention, and he turned towards it to find Orihime, Uryu, and Chad all standing next to the Captain-Commander, who swept the hat from his head and looked at Ichigo with a tart expression.

Orihime stared at his mangled shoulder covering her mouth as she fought the urge to regurgitate, but when she tried to rush forward to heal the snake bite, Uryu threw out an arm to stop her.

Tensa Zangetsu shook in Ichigo's unsteady hand. He'd lost too much blood, and seeing his friends only made matters worse. Had they seen him end the fight with Kazue? If so, it probably looked like he'd just tried to kill him. "Wha- what are you guys doing here?!"

"We came to try and help you, but… Ichigo, why are you doing this?! This isn't like you at all!" Orihime's hurt tone sent shivers through him, and he realized he hadn't laid eyes on her since the two of them had almost kissed. There was so much he wanted to say to his friends, but with so many other people nearby, he couldn't risk it. There was a solid chance Aizen had each and every shinigami in that clearing ensorcelled by his shikai. So how then could he let his friends know that something was wrong?

"I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys, but I've decided that the Seireitei is rotten, and needs to be brought crumbling down!"

That's right. He could lie through his teeth. It was a desperate ploy, and there was a chance they might misunderstand him, but it was all he could do. With any luck, they would be able to guess that there was something else at work.

Ichigo furrowed his brow pointedly at his friends, meeting each of their eyes and hoping they could see through his falsehoods. "I hate being a substitute soul reaper, and I'll make it so that no one else has to suffer like I did. I never wanted this. I… I wish I'd never met Rukia!"

It was unbearable to say, even if he was lying. He made a mental note to apologize to Rukia if he ever got the chance. Uryu wore an enraged snarl. He looked ready to start berating Ichigo, but then his eyes widened, realization dawned upon his face, and he quickly readjusted his expression into one of disinterest. It had only taken an instant, but Ichigo knew that the Quincy had picked up on his lie. Whatever Ichigo might have said about him, Uryu was as sharp as a tack.

"Sorry, Kurosaki, but you must understand that I can't let you go. Surrender peacefully, and I swear we will do all we can to help you." Kyoraku said.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry, Head Captain," the young renegade murmured. "I can't surrender to you here. Not when I still have things I need to do."

With a sigh, Kyoraku drew his blades. "Here we go again."

Before the Captain-Commander could strike, several arrows of light streaked towards Ichigo, who batted them away with a swing of Tensa Zangetsu. The difference in power between this bankai and his old one was incredible. So long as he conserved his energy, he could actually feel his reiryoku recharging, even while in bankai. It used to be a constant drain on his strength no matter what he did. Now, he would be able to maintain his bankai even longer, perhaps even indefinitely, provided he didn't spend every second in combat.

Uryu was the one whom had let fly at Ichigo, and his bow thrummed with azure energy, his pale white mantle flapping out behind him from the force of the shot. Every pair of eyes in the vicinity turned to stare at the Quincy, whose power was so reminiscent of those whom had decimated their ranks only a year ago, when the Sternritter had laid siege to the Soul Society.

"Sorry, Ichigo," Uryu said loudly, "but if you stand against the Seireitei, then you stand against us as well. We'll bring you back to your senses, one way or another!"

Ichigo concealed his smile. With one sentence, Uryu had made himself seem like Ichigo's enemy, placing himself firmly on the side of the Seireitei. He had also sewed the seed of doubt, making it sound as though Ichigo were being controlled against his will. If he survived his encounter with Aizen, he would have to buy Uryu dinner or something to repay the favor. Orihime looked conflicted, her eyes flickering back and forth between Ichigo and Uryu as their reiatsu's flared to life. The sound of large, heavy boots kicking through grass distracted Ichigo from his intense staring contest with Uryu as Chad made his way forward.

His dark skin and towering stature set him apart from every other person present. His denim pants, and cowboy boots were a far cry from the traditional sandals and tabi of the average shinigami, but that didn't make him any less of a threat. Ichigo had been on the receiving end of his friend's wrath back during their encounter with X-cution, and he knew just how strong Chad was.

As he walked, his spiritual pressure grew heavy, and the skin on his arms began to change. The right arm became black as night, crisscrossed with burgundy lines that formed strange patterns on his flesh. His left arm turned white and pale, with long lines of maroon that traced a path from the back of his hand, all the way up to his shoulder, where a horn-like protrusion had formed.

He came to a stop before Ichigo, who took a moment to marvel in just how intimidating his friend truly was. A full head taller than the substitute soul reaper, he was almost twice as wide, and all of that was solid muscle. The only thing Ichigo had in his corner was the fact that he was faster than Chad, but he knew better than to underestimate him. With all the training he'd done with Yoruichi and Renji over the years, the Fullbringer had become quite the warrior.

He stared down at Ichigo with an inscrutable expression. The tension between the two of them was palpable, and Ichigo wondered if he shouldn't prepare for an onslaught.

Chad raised a fist, and slowly, carefully, planted it against Ichigo's chest. It wasn't a punch in the normal sense, but something seemed to shoot through Ichigo, like he'd been hit with a static shock. It raced through the point of contact and up into his brain, and he realized that Chad was using his Fullbring to directly make contact with Ichigo's soul.

"You're not being controlled against your will," Chad breathed, just loud enough for Ichigo to hear. "What's goin' on, man?"

"Rukia's in danger." Ichigo whispered, keeping his lips as still as he could. "Aizen is free."

Chad's eyes widened, but before he could break the contact, Ichigo reached out and grabbed his wrist, shooting his own spirit energy into his friend's arm. Perhaps, in his desire to make Chad understand, he overdid it, because the taller man twitched slightly. Into that connection, Ichigo poured his desire to save Rukia, his memories of Aizen, and his time spent in jail trying to figure out what to do.

The Fullbringer wrenched his wrist from Ichigo's grasp, shaking and sweating. After a few deep breaths, he seemed to have calmed some, and he extended his hand towards Ichigo.

"I'm still not entirely sure what's going on," he told his friend, "but I've got your back, Ichigo."

The two of them shook hands, and with that Chad took up his place at Ichigo's flank, fists raised against several soul reapers who had been inching themselves forward, as if working up the initiative to attack. With Chad now blocking their path, none of them made to advance any further.

"I'm sorry, Uryu, Orihime, but I made a promise to Ichigo, and I intend to keep it."

Uryu smiled, understanding in his eyes. "I'd expect nothing less."

Orihime looked like her heart was breaking in two. Her closest friends had been splintered, and her crush was her enemy. Though her powers had gotten strong, she was not as skilled in attacking as she was in defending. She wouldn't be much help against Chad and Ichigo, and even if she could attack, the thought of fighting against them brought tears to her eyes.

"It's still just the two of you against all of us," Kyoraku said, "and I have several other Captains rallying here as we speak. You have no chance at victory. Why not make things easier on yourselves?"

"Because I have people that I need to protect," Ichigo proclaimed, raising his sword and staring Kyoraku in the eye.

A soft chortle rang out in the clearing, and a foreign voice broke the silence. It did not come from any one place, but instead, from all around them.

"Kyoraku, I think you've had a bit too much to drink," the disembodied voice laughed. "It's all of you against the _three_ of us!"

Lightning crashed down from the clear heavens, taking up a position on Ichigo and Chad's exposed side. A curvaceous, dark skinned woman with long purple hair had appeared, so quickly that no one had the opportunity to react.

Yoruichi had come to their aid, and she seemed to be in high spirits.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone. Kon was a bit of pain to whip into shape, but we've made good progress. Seems I got here in the nick of time."

"L-Lady Yoruichi!" Soifon called, emerging from the shadows of the trees that surrounded the clearing.

Yoruichi wiggled her fingers at her successor, making the younger woman's face turn pink.

"Hey there, Soifon! I thought I sensed you nearby. I like your haircut!"

"T-thanks, Lady Yoruichi." The stealth force commander looped a finger around a lock of her hair, fiddling with it nervously.

"Er, Captain Soifon? You were supposed to stay on the perimeter and head them off if they tried to escape, remember?" Kyoraku asked, frowning at the Squad Two captain.

"I… uh… well, I was doing that when…."

Yoruichi batted her eyelashes at Soifon, grinning devilishly and causing the short woman to lose her train of thought as blood began to leak from her nostrils.

' _By the Spirit King, those eyes…._ ' Soifon thought, covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve.

"It was nice to see you all," Yoruichi announced, placing her hands on Ichigo's and Chad's shoulders. "Especially _you,_ Soifon. C'mon, boys. There's work to be done."

"W-wait, Lady Yorui-" but it was no good. The former captain of the second division, along with Chad and the renegade substitute soul reaper, had all vanished into thin air, leaving no trail of spirit energy to follow, and no reiatsu to track.

Soifon's extended hand fell to her side, and she fumed to herself. There was no way she could keep up with Yoruichi. The only other Captain that may be able to come close would be Byakuya, but he was preoccupied, and Soifon had trained so extensively that she could probably outpace him by now, anyway. Kyoraku sheathed his blades before addressing all of the assembled soul reapers.

"Well, there's no use sticking around here," he said at large, "everyone can return to their posts until further notice! Excellent work, all of you. Great response time! Let Lord Kamisaigaiku's men know we have one of his guards here. Are any of you from Squad Four? Can you call for reinforcements? Please work on getting this young man treated right away. Oh, and Captain Soifon, could I have a word with you?"

Orihime and Uryu looked on as Soifon turned as white as a ghost before following after the Head Captain, who began to pace the edge of the clearing so that they might converse in private. Several men and women from the Fourth Division hurried forward to tend to the man Ichigo had struck down as they had arrived.

Kazue said nothing as they treated him. He folded his legs underneath himself, resting on his knees with his hands clenched in his lap. The medical adepts went to work immediately, using sutures and bandages and healing kido to close his wounds and stop the bleeding.

A crack echoed through the clearing and made Orihime flinch, and she turned to find a red faced Soifon had just struck Kyoraku across the face. With a "Hmph!" she stormed away, leaving the Captain-Commander grinning as he rubbed his cheek. He returned to Orihime and Uryu as several men raced up to the Head Captain.

"Head Captain Kyoraku! What's going on with Captain Soifon?! Should we apprehend her?"

"Hmm? Oh, no."

"But sir, striking ones superior officer is a capital offense! She must be punished!"

Kyoraku tipped his hat to the men, his impish smile widening. "I'm fine, really. And she was well within her rights to smack me like that. I may have overstepped my boundaries in asking about her relationship with her predecessor."

"Wha- you mean... Captain Soifon… and Lady Yoruichi…" the men all seemed to have strange expressions on their faces as they developed severe nosebleeds. Orihime grew hot under the collar as well, and began to fan her face. Only Uryu seemed unaffected by the thought.

"Whatever the truth is, it's a very tender subject," Kyoraku said, massaging the raw pink hand print on his cheek, "and Soifon has assured me it will not affect the quality of her work anymore. It's best to trust her word and leave things as they lie."

A few of the men simply nodded. One chirped "Yes, Head Captain." As one, they gave a salute and went back to assisting with the medical procedure.

Uryu pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said, "You soul reapers sure are vulgar, aren't you? And with a lady around, no less. Orihime, next time they begin to speak so plainly, I want you to cover your ears!"

"Wha- I'm not a little girl, Uryu! I'm a grown woman!" Orihime spluttered indignantly.

"Regardless, you shouldn't have to hear such things. It's for your own good, you know."

The redhead grew flustered, pouting with all her might at the Quincy. "Just cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm delicate or anything! And besides, I happen to think Soifon deserves to find someone she can be happy with, whether it's a man or a woman! The only person here that's delicate is you! I still remember how you failed Sex Ed back in middle school!"

It was Uryu's turn to stammer. "I-I just mixed up a few terms during our final exam! I can't be expected to remember every part of the female reproductive system! Women are complicated!"

"Well then, I guess we've found something we can agree on," Orihime mumbled, crossing her arms and looking away from Uryu, who seemed at a loss for words. "Oh, and by the way, I'm still mad at you about how we betrayed Ichigo like that. We should've gone with him, like Chad."

"Orihime, don't you get it? We're still going to help Ichigo. That was just a show. Didn't you think it was odd how he said all those things? He was obviously lying. It's clear to me that there's something else going on here, something he couldn't talk about with everyone around." Uryu rubbed his chin thoughtfully when the sound of Kyoraku clearing his throat made him freeze.

"About that," the old shinigami said quietly, "I may be able to shed some light on that subject… but you two will need to come with me. We have a lot to discuss, and very little time to get to the bottom of this. The hole Ichigo has dug for himself is now quite damning."

* * *

Ichigo's bankai was fast, so he was used to moving at breakneck speeds. Tagging along with Yoruichi, however, he found that he preferred being the one in the driver's seat, so to speak.

The former captain's flash step patterns were zig-zaggy, making them difficult to follow. She would veer left, kick off an old tree sitting on a hill top, then shoot three miles to the right, and kick off the crumbling ruins of what appeared to be an old shinigami outpost before going to the left once more. She did all of this while moving so quickly that Ichigo had trouble figuring out their destination. Chad looked about ready to be sick.

By the time Ichigo realized they had stopped moving, the sun was setting. He got unsteadily to his feet and looked around. He, Chad, and Yoruichi were on the edge of a cliff, which was made of strange reddish stone. To his right, a waterfall cascaded down into the lands below, falling into a river that laced its way through miles and miles of emerald forest. The feel of the air was different; cleaner and easier to breathe, yet also dangerous. The sounds of wildlife were all around them, though Ichigo couldn't recognize any of those calls.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Yoruichi sat on the warm red rock, looking out over the trees to gaze at the sun, which was streaked with hues of pink, scarlet, and orange as it sank below the horizon.

"These are the Crags of Shiroshi Shihouin. These are the falls where he threw himself to his death, so that he might have a chance at rejoining his wife when his soul was reincarnated." She didn't sound particularly interested in that tidbit of history, though. She recited it as if it were from a history book she'd been forced to memorize. When Ichigo gave her an exasperated look, she smiled.

"That really doesn't mean much to us, though. Currently, we're about sixty miles east of the Seireitei, in a secluded jungle owned by my family. These falls are where the Shihouins have trained their heirs for centuries, so that we might learn from the mistakes of our past, and grow strong. Only when we've scaled these cliffs with nothing but our bare hands are we eligible to become the clan's leader. My brother, the current heir of the Shihouin clan, won't be old enough to attempt the trials for some time, so the gardens and temples and training grounds are all abandoned. Here, we'll have everything we'll need to prepare for tomorrow."

"This is where you were trained?" Ichigo asked, covering his hands with his eyes as he peered out over the jungle.

"No. Back there is where I was trained," she jerked her thumb back over her shoulder, and Ichigo followed it with his eyes, noticing an enormous complex that looked to be entirely dedicated to martial arts, agility training, and the art of war in general. There were obstacle courses, trapeze set ups, targets for kido, dummys for swordplay, gazebos for afternoon tea breaks, and crisscrossing walkways covered with ivy and vines. Huge vine covered buildings took up as much space as the obstacle courses. The eerie light of the setting sun made the place look like a ghost town. The dark windows and lonely stillness of the place sent a shiver down Ichigo's spine.

"The buildings are dedicated to a variety of things." Yoruichi explained. "One is a dojo, another is a mess hall. One contains books of every kind, primarily dedicated to the practical use of various combat techniques. No expense was spared during its construction… but to this day I still think it feels more like a prison than a training ground. I used to finish my daily training and sit out on these cliffs for hours, staring at the Seireitei and wishing I could go back home. Only now do I realize that this was where I spent some of the best years of my life."

Her tender sentiment was ruined by the sound of retching. Ichigo turned to look at Chad over his shoulder.

"You ok, man?"

"I'll let you know after the world stops spinning," he grumbled.

Yoruichi smiled to herself. "Hey, Ichigo, how's that ankle of yours? And your shoulder?"

"They feel… fine?" the substitute shinigami frowned as he peeled the blood soaked shihakusho away from his shoulder and ran his fingers over his skin. Where there had been a mangled mess before, now there was just a great pale scar. It formed a crescent moon shape that cut across his bicep and his peck before ending where his neck attached to his shoulder.

"I thought so," the dark skinned woman said, standing from her perch and turning to face Ichigo. "Your body is attuned to the spirit energy of the Soul King's Palace, which leaks down into this area. This place isn't just for martial arts training, it's designed to help bring out the most in a person's soul, to help us achieve our true potential. Your Quincy powers may have been stripped away, but your Quincy blood allows you to absorb reishi and turn it into power. Your spirit energy is healing you. By tomorrow, you should have recovered most of your strength."

"I guess I should thank you, but I'm not really sure it was necessary," Ichigo said with a shrug.

"Really?" Yoruichi bit back her anger as she raised an eyebrow. "It seemed pretty _necessary_ from where I was standing. Without me, you'd be back in jail by now."

The substitute soul reaper rubbed the back of his head. He would need a haircut soon. "It's not that I don't appreciate your help… and this is a great setup and all, but… I have no intentions of letting Aizen get away again. I've given this a lot of thought, and the only way for someone to beat Aizen permanently is to kill him. The problem is, it's a suicide mission. He won't go down and stay down unless someone is willing to drag him into Hell kicking and screaming, and I've decided that if that's what needs to be done, then I'm the man who should do it."

"Don't be dense! Sacrificing yourself isn't noble, it's selfish and arrogant!" Yoruichi chided.

"If we were dealing with anyone but Aizen, I might agree, but you know what he's capable of. I have a technique… something I didn't have before, that will put an end to Aizen. The only hang up is that I'll be killed along with him. I don't want to die, but if it means Rukia and everyone else can live their lives without having to live in fear of Aizen's return, then I'll gladly pay that price."

"Ichigo," Chad got to his feet, wavering as if the ground were still spinning. "You can't just abandon all of us. You have friends, family, and people who depend on you. Would you really put us all through so much pain just to keep us safe?"

"That pain will heal," Ichigo answered quietly, laying the blade of the Tensa Zangetsu across his shoulder. "But so long as Aizen is free, all of my friends, family, and loved ones will be targeted. He'll stop at nothing to take vengeance on me until I'm out of the picture, and then there'll be nothing stopping him from killing everyone I care about, anyway. No, I've given this a lot of thought, and I know what I'm doing. You can't change my mind."

Yoruichi pouted, crossing her arms as she blinked away the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Ichigo was so young and full of life. To see him so grim, and so determined to end himself to save everyone made her feel like she had failed, somehow. She still remembered him as a teenager, headstrong and unthinking, who rushed into enemy territory at the drop of a hat to save a friend. Where had the time gone? When did that young man turn into such a hardened warrior?

"You say that," Yoruichi said, "but I'm not going to sit idly by while you plot your death. I'm going to help you. I'll train you just like we did when you were trying to achieve bankai. We'll make you strong enough to take on Aizen and live. Now, I think it's high time you explained to me what exactly is going on around here."

Ichigo's jaw dropped. "You mean that you have no idea why I'm on the run from the Thirteen Court Guard Squads?!"

"Hehe, nope. I just appeared where I felt your presence and it looked like you needed a hand. Aizen's reappearance, while not necessarily surprising, does shed some light on quite a few of the goings on around here, though."

Ichigo breathed a sigh, turning to look at Chad as well. Though he had been given an inkling of what was going on via Ichigo zapping him with his spirit energy, neither he nor Yoruichi were actually aware of the complexity of the situation… and yet they had both sided with him, because they knew something was wrong. With friends like these, Ichigo felt he could take on the world. He, Chad, and Yoruichi sat in a little circle, taking in the last dregs of the beautiful sunset as Ichigo wondered where to begin his tale.

"Alright," he said, "this is what happened when I left the world of the living and came here looking for Rukia…."

Yoruichi raised a hand to stop him. "Before you explain everything, there's someone else here who would probably like to hear this."

The sound of sandals crunching through dead leaves caught Ichigo's ear, and he turned to look behind him, at whoever was approaching from the massive training complex. He saw someone in black robes, with a white sash about their waist that fell to their knees, which was emblazoned with a black circle with three points- the mark of the Kido Corps. When they got closer, however, Ichigo had to do a double take. This person, of all people, should most definitely _not_ have been there. It was like seeing Aizen in the teahouse, only all he felt now was disbelief and anger. He shot a venomous glare at Yoruichi, who nonchalantly fiddled with the collar of her blouse.

Getting to his feet, Ichigo made to intercept the newcomer. Chad stood as well, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Hey, bro. Hey, Chad. What's up?"

Standing there, in a modified Kido Corps shihakusho with tight sleeves and a slimmer, less baggy design was Ichigo's little sister, Karin Kurosaki.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Go figure, I say that my third eye is broken, and then I hammer this out in a manner of days. I think I had this mostly written in less than a week, actually, but I only just got it edited. But yeah, just like my third eye to make a damned liar out of me. Here we have a little action, a little humor (c'mon, Uryu failing Sex Ed is comedy gold, people) and the arrival of several characters who are going to try and help Ichigo. Sorry if the whole "Seireitei is rotten" bit was too edgy for you, but this is fanfiction. Also, I love Death Note.**_

 _ **Moving along, this one was actually fun to write. Editing, however, was not fun at all. There are so many things I've been trying to hold together plot-wise, and I wasn't sure that I should introduce Karin yet, but it's too late to change now. Oh, and Kazue's shikai totally isn't a ripoff of Renji's. I actually had this idea for his bankai where it's kinda like a dragon, but we'll see if it ever gets incorporated. And how about the implied Yoruichi/Soifon, eh? I figured that Soifon's crush might be fun to mess around with. Oh, and Chad and Ichigo are total bros. For real, these two are like brothers in blood.**_

 _ **Something else I'd like to point out is that with how different this story is from the synopsis I wrote, I have very little idea as to what's coming next. For real, I've had like three different endings in my head, and I'm sure I'll have even more by the time I get to the ending.**_

 _ **But that's all my griping out of the way. Here's some music to listen to.**_

 _ ***MUSIC***_

 _ **Bingx-Dangerous (good battle music)**_

 _ **Alec Benjamin-Gotta Be A Reason**_

 _ **Josh A. & Jake Hill- Heartbreaks (the lads are back at it again)**_

 _ **Dermot Kennedy-Power Over Me (IchiRuki 4 Lyfe)**_

 _ **Also, I've been binge watching this Bleach AMV on Youtube by Maro95 of Ichigo vs Ginjo titled 'It's Over' It's well edited without being overdone. Give it a look see.**_

 _ **Also, special thanks to a reviewer called LitanyofHate. I appreciate the impassioned review, and the attention to detail. Great stuff.**_


	15. Storming the Gates!

"Just what the hell are you doing in the Soul Society?!" Ichigo asked his sister, who shot him a defiant glare.

"It's nice to see you're still being a jerk," Karin noted dryly, pushing past her brother to stand by Yoruichi, who put a reassuring hand upon the young woman's shoulder.

"She's here to help us, Ichigo," explained Yoruichi.

"She's not… I mean, she's…" Ichigo cast about for something, anything, to dissuade Yoruichi from letting Karin help them. His eyes settled on Karin's waist, and he noticed his sister didn't have a weapon. "She doesn't even have a zanpakuto! How can she help us against Aizen?!"

Yoruichi smiled, flashing white, even teeth before whispering in Karin's ear. The middle child of the Kurosaki family grinned maliciously. Ichigo felt the incredible reishi of the Shihouin training facility bend to her will as she raised a hand over her head, pointing towards the sky. An ominous ebony orb surrounded by violet light hovered over her index finger. A bead of sweat dripped from Karin's brow as she focused. One second passed. Then another. Finally-

"Hado Ninety, Kurohitsugi!"

Ichigo felt dread course through him as he recalled that spell. It was the same one Aizen had used against him during their battle, and once before on the previous Captain of the Seventh Squad. He turned, following the flow of power that radiated from his sister, and watched as one of the biggest trees he'd ever seen got swallowed up by massive black walls of reishi. They closed in around the target, completely encapsulating it, and then, with the sound of several hollow thuds, the coffin was punctured by enormous black crosses.

Karin smiled at the awestruck look on her brother's face, and with a click of her fingers, the hado was dispelled. The tree, which had once stood tall and proud, collapsed on itself as the spell took effect, cutting the tree to ribbons. The shriek of creaking wood and cracking branches was loud until the tree hit the ground with a violent crash, sending tremors through the earth that make Ichigo grip Zangetsu's hilt for reassurance.

If Ichigo had anything to say, the words caught in his throat. He faced his sister, who was sweating from exertion, but still looked markedly pleased with herself. She crossed her arms, leaning heavily upon one leg as she waited for her brother to speak.

"K-Karin? What the hell…. I mean how did you-"

"Your sister is a natural Kido user," Yoruichi smiled, giving Karin a pat on the back, "she came to us trying to become more powerful so she could help, but she couldn't seem to find an Asuachi to merge with her, so I taught her some Kido, and she took to it immediately."

"Lady Yoruichi says that it usually takes a lot longer to learn high-level Kido like that, but I've managed to cast it several times, now. It still leaves me a little whoozy, though."

As if to punctuate that statement, Karin's eyelids drooped for a moment, and she looked as though she were about to fall over when she recovered, shaking her head and blinking quickly.

"Even so, I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to be fighting with us," Ichigo said.

Karin's lethargy was forgotten, and her ears turned pink as she stared at her brother incredulously. "You can't tell me I'm not allowed to fight! I'm almost as old as you were when you went to save Rukia from execution!"

Ichigo grit his teeth in frustration. He'd almost forgotten that Urahara had told his sister every detail of his exploits. Before he could stop himself, he'd raised his voice. "That's not the point! This isn't a video game, Karin! Aizen isn't someone you can beat just because you have numbers or luck or strategy on your side! And if you die here, then you're dead in the world of the living, too! Don't you get it?!"

"Of course I do!" Karin replied hotly, "I'm not stupid! I've been working hard for a long time, trying to make it so that you don't have to face this by yourself! You and dad have both risked your lives fighting against Aizen, why shouldn't I?!"

"Because if Aizen kills me, there's no one to protect you! How do you think dad and Yuzu would feel if we both just vanished?! Would you really want to leave Yuzu at home alone with dad all the time?! Did you even stop to think how much your death might affect your loved ones?!"

"I could ask the same of you! How many times have you almost died?! How often have you left us all at home, wondering if we'll ever see you again?! If anyone should sit this out, it's you! You should go home, and listen to dad and Yuzu talk about how you're always gone! You should focus more on finding a real job, and living your life! But here you are, willing to throw it away, without giving any thought to the family you left at home! You're a selfish, arrogant asshole who just doesn't know when to quit! Not only that, but there are two other people here who have never been exposed to Aizen's shikai!"

Yoruichi nodded at Karin. "That's right. Neither Chad nor Karin have ever had the chance to be exposed to the Kyoka Suigetsu."

"See?! You're not so special anymore, Ichigo!" his sibling rallied. "You're not the only one who can fight! I'm half soul reaper, and half Quincy, too! You know as well as I do that I know how to handle myself!"

As much as Ichigo hated to admit it, his sister had a point. While Karin rarely had to exercise her raw might against her father, like Ichigo did, she often managed to duck around and avoid their sparring matches altogether. Her quick feet and lightning reflexes allowed her to sidestep a throwaway punch, duck a retaliatory haymaker, and somersault over a leg sweep on her way to the kitchen to see what Yuzu had made for breakfast. And for as lithe as she was, she had once managed to give Ichigo pause when they had decided to arm wrestle. Ichigo had won in the end, but Karin had made him work for it.

She was far stronger than most people would assume, had excellent situational awareness, and her spiritual pressure had blossomed in the few days that Ichigo hadn't seen her. Perhaps it was the powerful reishi of the Shihouin training ground, or just the Soul Society itself, but her previously stifled reiryoku had become quite strong. At her current level, she could probably be mistaken for a rookie lieutenant.

It was in that moment, when Karin tried so desperately to get her brother to see her prowess for what it was, that the veil was lifted from Ichigo's eyes. No longer did he see his little sister standing there, but a reflection of himself when he was younger: desperate to prove himself, determined to succeed no matter what, and unwilling to let anyone stand in the way of his goals.

"I'm fighting," Karin told him decisively, mentally daring her brother to speak out in opposition.

Ichigo let loose a heavy sigh through his nose and released the tension in his shoulders. There was no stopping her, and he needed all the help he could get. He wasn't sure fighting a godly megalomaniac could be considered normal family bonding, but then, he didn't exactly have a normal family, did he?

"Fine," he relented. "But you're a Kido user, so you need to stay to the back and provide support. Think of yourself as a mage in those roleplaying games you like."

Karin scowled, and her lips became a thin line, but she let it slide. At least Ichigo wasn't pushing for her to go home.

"Also, if you notice Aizen releasing his shikai, I want you to close your eyes. Don't look at his sword, no matter what. And if you see our lines breaking, or if I'm overwhelmed, I want you to run away as fast as you can."

"I'm _not_ just gonna run-" Karin's rebuke was interrupted as searing anger rose in the pit of Ichigo's stomach. He felt his mind go blank as his vision turned from red to black.

 ** _"DO WHAT I SAY_**!" Ichigo roared at his sister.

Karin's face turned pale as she watched inky darkness flicker across the whites of her brother's eyes, and fear gripped her as she heard the second voice speaking behind his own: it was blood chilling, warbling, and not at all human. She took a wary step back as Ichigo blinked hard, and the presence that had momentarily inhabited him vanished. He held a hand to his head, which throbbed with a searing pain that reverberated behind his eyes every time he blinked.

"That was…" Karin let the statement hang. She'd heard tell of Ichigo's inner hollow from Urahara. Even with the shopkeeper's vividly frightening description of it, nothing could have prepared her for how twisted and malign it had made her brother look in that instant. IT was like he wasn't even himself, anymore.

"This isn't a game," mumbled the substitute shinigami, not meeting his kid sister's eyes. "You have to do what I say when it comes to Aizen. I'm not trying to be an asshole, Karin. I'm trying to keep you safe. If anything happened to you…."

Ichigo couldn't finish that thought. The idea of having to go home without his sister, and tell his father and Yuzu that Karin was dead was too much for him. When it became clear that Ichigo had nothing more to say, she nodded stiffly.

Yoruichi gently patted the girl's shoulder before turning to Ichigo. "I believe you were about to tell us what's been going on. I think we all need a better grasp of the situation before we can plan our attack, right?"

Ichigo drew a shuddering breath, and slowly began to recount the tale of his time in the Soul Society.

* * *

"Wait a second, you're telling me that Ichigo told you Aizen was masquerading as the leader of a noble clan… and you _didn't_ believe him?!"

Uryu didn't seem to notice how loudly he was speaking, so Orihime elbowed him in the ribs to remind him of their sensitive topic of conversation.

Kyoraku had just finished regaling the two of them with all the destruction Ichigo had left in his wake, starting with his attack on Kamisaigaiku, all the way through to Kyoraku's meeting with the prisoner.

He had no clue how it had taken so long, but somehow night had already fallen. The only source of light was a flickering candle on the Head Captain's desk that painted the walls of his office with dancing shadows, and made the lines on his face even more prevalent.

"I did believe him, actually." Kyoraku mumbled. "He's never struck me as the kind of person to lie, and I'm quite good at reading people, but you both heard him earlier. I know for a fact that he cares deeply for Rukia Kuchiki, but then he goes and says that he wishes he never met her? No, I've had the feeling that something is off for some time, now."

"So why haven't you done anything?" Uryu asked impatiently.

The Captain Commander smiled, showing Uryu his empty palms. "What could I do? Aizen's name will start a panic, and even if he is free, I don't have the authority to investigate a noble clan."

"Dammit all," the Quincy swore under his breath.

For all his cold, calculating logic, Uryu was no closer to figuring out what to do than the Captain-Commander. Without any sort of authority, they couldn't so much as ask an off-hand question to the Kamisaigaiku clan's doorman, much less demand the truth from the head of their house.

The irritated young man looked over to find Orihime lost in thought. The way she drifted off from time to time used to annoy Uryu to no end, but now it just made him sad. Whenever she was lost in her own head, she looked so worn down, so vulnerable that he just wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be alright. He got the distinct impression that she'd been having a rough time, lately. He hadn't noticed it before, but her smile could to light up any room. Now that everything seemed so bleak, he wished for that light to return.

She met his eye, and Uryu turned away quickly. He'd been staring at her so intently that he hadn't noticed she was lucid again.

"I have an idea," she said grimly, her eyes sparkling as she stared into the candle's flame. "Why don't we just ask Aizen?"

* * *

Though Rukia had been preoccupied all day by thoughts of Ichigo, she was still expected to sup with her brother and husband-to-be, so when the servant summoned her she dressed, smoothed out the creases in her kimono, brushed her hair, and made her way to the dining hall.

It was a long room with an enormous table made of polished dark hardwood that was so flat and smooth it looked like a mirror in the brilliant light. On the table was a fresh vase of roses, no doubt picked for Rukia by her betrothed, who sat at the very end of the table.

A servant poured Lord Kamisaigaiku his tea, which he scented deeply before noticing Rukia.

"Ah, hello, darling. The food will be prepared shortly. Byakuya has sent a hell butterfly saying that he will be along soon, too. You arrived just in time."

He gestured for Rukia to take the seat on his left. The soul reaper gave a silent bow before sitting down in the chair that had been pulled out by a servant. Kamisaigaiku had another cup of tea poured for Rukia.

"Oh, that reminds me, I picked this up for you earlier today," he said quietly, grabbing a long, thin box and sliding it across the table.

It was made of black leather with a golden clasp, and reminded her of a suitcase from the world of the living. It was tied shut with a lacy silver bow that fell away before Rukia's nervous hands. No matter what was in the box, she knew that she must seem grateful for it.

But that proved to be no issue.

When she opened the box, she found it was lined with just about every writing utensil known to man. There were tools for drawing, making blueprints, calligraphy, painting and just about anything else one could want. One section was dedicated to water colors, another to colored pencils, another to carcoal sketching It was everything her artistic soul could have wanted.

"A little birdie tells me that you like to draw," Kamisaigaiku smiled, taking pleasure in her awestruck face. "And you so often admire your brother's calligraphy, I thought you might like to learn it for yourself."

Rukia was well aware of the immeasurable cost of such a gift. In the world of the living, such items were available freely to anyone with the money to purchase them, but in the Soul Society, art was something very few people could afford to indulge in. Not to mention that the handle to every utensil contained in the box seemed to be made with some sort of ivory that was inlaid with gold.

"I-it's amazing," stammered Rukia, "thank you very much, my lord."

"Hideyoshi," he laughed, "just call me Hideyoshi… my darling little Rukia."

The soul reaper's face grew hot, and she quickly tucked the case away beside her chair. It was still strange to hear this man- a man she felt no love for- speak to her with such fondness. It made her uncomfortable, but she ignored those feelings. With any luck, it would get less awkward as time went by.

A door slid open, and Byakuya made his way into the dining hall. He was fresh from the bathhouse, so his hair was wet, and he smelled like mint and eucalyptus. He gave Kamisaigaiku a small bow before sitting on his right hand side. As soon as the servant poured his tea, Byakuya began to drink.

"Forgive my lateness," he said finally. "I have been on the hunt all day, with little time to rest, eat or drink. Sadly, we are no closer to catching our quarry. It would seem he has just vanished to the winds."

"Do not leave us in such suspense. Pray tell us what it was you were chasing," Kamisaigaiku queried, folding his hands in front of his face. "I am quite skilled in hunting. My family has taken all kinds of game."

"Unfortunately, it was not a hunt for sport," Byakuya said, swilling his tea, "we were chasing down the substitute soul reaper who attacked you at the tea ceremony. He has broken free of his prison, and is now at large."

Far from being disturbed by these tidings, Kamisaigaiku looked amused. He took a sip of his tea and asked, "Is that so?"

The Captain of the Sixth Division nodded. "He was saved by Yoruichi Shihouin, the former Captain of the Stealth Force, and previous heir to the Shihouin clan."

Rukia said nothing, staring at the table with unseeing eyes. Kamisaigaiku had given her the key to Ichigo's cell. He had offered to help save Ichigo's life, all because he knew that it would mean so much to Rukia. Even if she didn't truly love the noble, his kindness and consideration were astonishing.

"Are you not concerned, Lord Kamisaigaiku?" Byakuya wondered, taking note of the nobleman's smile.

"No, I am not. While I do not know of his motives, I do not think Ichigo Kurosaki will do anything rash. With luck, he will simply return to the world of the living. I bear no grudge against the boy."

"Hmph. Yes, you're quite right in that regard," Byakuya muttered. "A _man_ would surely not act so carelessly selfish. To call him a boy is much more fitting of his delusional disposition."

Kamisaigaiku raised an eyebrow. "You know him personally?"

"I once had some small measure of respect for his determination. That is all."

Several servants entered the room, laying out personalized meals for each of the nobles at the table. While Rukia and Kamisaigaiku both ate rather light, Byakuya had a veritable feast before him. Rukia realized that with Ichigo on the loose, her brother probably hadn't eaten all day. No one save a captain would stand a chance against the substitute soul reaper.

"Well, it's no matter," Kamisaigaiku said, laying one of his hands over Rukia's. "I am sure nothing will happen."

But the way Kamisaigaiku looked at her was disconcerting. The kind smile he wore did not extend to his eyes, which were fixated upon her with indecipherable mirth. It made her feel small, like she was the punch line to a joke only Kamisaigaiku knew. When he finally withdrew his hand, Rukia breathed a silent sigh of relief, but as she ate, her thoughts turned to Ichigo.

 _"We'll get through this,"_ his voice echoed in her head. _"I promise."_

 _'Ichigo… I hope you're right,'_ she thought sadly.

* * *

Aizen's wicked plot had been unveiled. The counterattack had been planned. Ichigo, Karin, Yoruichi, and Chad would strike tomorrow, during the wedding. That left them all very little time to train, but they spent most of their night doing just that.

Karin worked with Yoruichi to master even more advanced Kido, and to increase her reserves of spirit energy. Chad used his Fullbring powers to spar with the cat lady, who was forced to activate her shunko just to give him a challenge. Ichigo, meanwhile, went to the base of the great red stone cliffs, and sat by the thundering waterfall. The water crashed so hard against the rocks that he could feel the rumble of it in his bones. The noise from the falls drowned out all else, deafening him to the calls of the nocturnal animals prowling the jungle. Chill mist rose from the water and soaked into his robes and skin, making him damp within a matter of minutes.

All the while, he conversed with the Tensa Zangetsu, who slowly and carefully unraveled the secrets of what he called the Chishi Getsuga, or the 'Lethal Getsuga.'

"And you're sure there's nothing else too it?" Ichigo asked. "That seems so… simple."

"It is," Tensa shrugged. "In fact, it's so simple that you'd never think of it. Not unless you were faced with an overpowering enemy like Aizen."

The sound of soft footsteps behind Ichigo alerted him to someone approaching, but when he turned it was only Yoruichi.

"Still talking to your zanpakuto, huh?" she asked.

Ichigo turned to look back at Tensa, where the spirit had been floating in the mist, but he was already gone.

"Not anymore, no."

The woman took a seat next to Ichigo at the water's edge, looking up at the moon that hung over their heads.

"So, you've made your decision, I take it?" she asked slowly.

"About what?"

"Killing yourself to beat Aizen."

Ichigo's eyebrows knit together. "If there's another way, I'd be glad to hear it."

The woman slugged his shoulder. "Smartass."

"You're just pissy because you know I'm right," Ichigo grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder.

The woman laughed, "No, I'm angry at myself because I don't have half of the resolve you do. Truth be told, I think it's sort of sad that it has to come to this."

Yoruichi's eyes reflected the moon, and her sly smile cracked for an instant.

"You've got plenty of resolve," Ichigo told her. "I just happen to be in the best position to defeat Aizen, and time isn't exactly on our side. If there was anyone else who could kill him, they would do the same thing."

"I'm not too sure about that," muttered Yoruichi. "In all my years, I've known a lot of nobles, Ichigo. The whole lot of them were greedy, selfish bastards. I know, I used to be one of them. What I've found is that true nobility isn't a title or money, it's in your character. I've met nameless men and women in the Rukon district who were possessed of more poise, grace, and kindness than people with bloodlines stretching back hundreds and thousands of years."

"Where are you going with this?" Ichigo asked.

Yoruichi slugged Ichigo's shoulder again, earning a sharp intake of breath from the substitute shinigami. For someone who was so smart, he sure was an impatient dumbass, sometimes.

"My point," the former captain huffed, "is that you carry a nobility few others possess. Not only are you actually a noble, but you're also a thoughtful, compassionate young man. It's a shame to think you might have to give up your life when there are so few kind-hearted people like you in the world."

"Geez, cut it out, would ya?" Ichigo smiled. "You're making me blush."

"Do you wanna get hit again?!"

"No, ma'am!"

"Don't call me ma'am! I'm not _that_ old!"

"Yes, ma- I mean yes, Lady Yoruichi!"

The fist Yoruichi raised fell to her side, but she couldn't help but smile. Ichigo was a good kid, and she had meant what she said. It was a damned shame that someone so special had to die to save a world he wouldn't get to live in. No one in the world of the living would ever know what happened to him. None of his friends would ever get to see him again.

Yoruichi would do her utmost to change that. She would do whatever it took, use any trick up her sleeve to try and help him. If Ichigo could achieve bankai in three days with her help, there had to be something she could do to help him now.

And then it clicked. Ichigo's greatest periods of growth came from facing enemies he couldn't beat. His most effective weapon was not his sword, but his ability to adapt to any opponent. Perhaps what he needed now wasn't a friend… but an adversary.

"Ichigo, do you trust me?"

The look on his face could not make it plainer that he did not fully trust the cat lady. With an innocent smile playing about her lips, she reinforced her fist with spirit energy, and slammed it into the small of Ichigo's back. He flew forward into the pool of water with a strangled cry before being completely submerged, and his voice vanished behind the veil of thundering mist from the falls.

"Do you feel that?" Yoruichi called, getting to her feet and brushing off her knees, "This water flows from the top of the mountain! It's charged with reishi particles even more dense than the ones in the air around us! This is the primary reason we came to this place, and use it as a training ground. It's believed that this spring is recycled run off from Tenjiro Kirinji's Healing Springs. Weather he knows of its existence is irrelevant, though. Using this to our advantage, we can undoubtedly make you even stronger."

"How is getting me drenched going to make me stronger?" Ichigo grumbled, shaking the water from his head. "I missed that part when I was stuck under the falls."

"Like this! Shunko!"

Yoruichi's blouse was torn away, revealing an open backed tank top that revealed her lean, slender arms and muscled back. She kicked off of the boulder she was on, and flew at Ichigo so quickly he nearly lost track of her. Had he not been in bankai, she would have successfully landed a blow on his face. Instead, Ichigo caught her strike against his forearm.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" she purred. "I'm going to push you until you can't be pushed any longer. I'll beat you to a pulp, and thanks to this water, you'll just keep getting back up. Consider yourself my clay, Ichigo Kurosaki. I'll smash you into little pieces, and reform you into a warrior without peer."

Yoruichi grabbed Ichigo by the collar of his robe and threw him, but he quickly righted himself. He skated across the surface of the water, waiting to lose momentum until he sank back up to his knees once more.

Ichigo laughed, "It'll take more than a weak throw to break me into pieces."

"Your bankai is a crutch," Yoruichi stated flatly, "without it, you're as helpless as a newborn. You have limited knowledge of Kido, and even less experience using it. Your hand to hand combat skills are high level, but against a Hakuda master, you don't stand a chance. And to top it all off, you've only just begun to exercise basic control over your reiatsu. Imagine what you could do if you were able to tap into all that wasted energy and potential."

"I'm still strong enough to kick your ass!" To punctuate his statement, Ichigo slashed Tensa Zangetsu through the air, and a tremor seemed to pass over the world, as if the blade of the sword carried a far greater weight than one would expect from a daito. The water around him became abnormally still, as if some great pressure were holding it in place. The water spilling from the cliffs arced away from him, as if glancing off of an invisible barrier. The fog that had been obscuring the lake at the base of the falls was temporarily lifted, leaving the both of them with a makeshift sparring ground.

Yoruichi's defiant grin make the blood in Ichigo's veins pump even harder, and he felt fire engulf his senses as he prepared for battle.

"Get ready, Ichigo," Yoruichi called, "here I come! Raiju Senkei: Shunryū Kokubyō Senkei!"

* * *

The next day was a joyous one for most in the Seireitei. Bells chimed, and people clamored and made merry. After Yhwach's defeat, they'd little enough reason to celebrate, but with the arrival of the Kamisaigaiku clan, and the marriage of the clan leader to a noblewoman from the Seireitei, many were keen to partake of the revelry. It seemed to be a good omen; a sign that the times were changing for the better. It meant that peace was slowly returning, as if the prison break yesterday had never even happened. Few knew that such peace was limited, and for those few, the calm before the storm was worse than any battle.

* * *

Rukia sat in her room, surrounded by servants who doted on her needs and helped her prepare for her wedding. One servant tightened her obi while another smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. Another carefully contoured her cheeks, and brushed them with blush. Her neatly done make up and nervous smile did not betray the worry that lay in her heart, though. Ichigo had said that he would stay in the Soul Society… did that mean he intended to interrupt the wedding?

* * *

Meanwhile, Kyoraku deliberated with Central 46, seeking to secure the keys that would allow him access to Aizen's cell. Orihime and Uryu, whom had been resigned to sharing a bed down the hall from the Captain-Commander's office, were woken up early by Nanao, and patiently waited for any news from the Head Captain.

* * *

Ichigo, Karin, Chad and Yoruichi all prepared themselves for their attack. As Karin had never really been a part of her brother's team before, she found it hard to take him seriously whenever he acted as their leader. The only thing keeping her from laughing at him was how serious Yoruichi and Chad looked. From the stony expressions on their faces, they trusted in Ichigo's plan, and believed in him as well. It was odd for her to consider how much history must have lied between them all for Yoruichi and Chad to listen so intently, and trust him so implicitly. It almost made her feel like the odd woman out.

"Alright," Ichigo muttered, poking at the dirt with a stick, with which he had drawn something that looked like a soccer play. "We all know what we're doing, right? Does anyone have any questions?"

"I've got one," Karin raised a hand, "how are we supposed to take on Aizen, and all the Captains of the Gotei 13?"

"There actually aren't thirteen captains anymore," Yoruichi explained.

"I suppose not after what Jushiro did." Ichigo had heard of the incredible way the soft spoken captain almost single-handedly salvaged the counter strike against Yhwach, revealing himself to be a catalyst for Mimihagi, the hand of the Spirit King.

But the dark skinned noblewoman shook her head. "It's not just Juushiro. Captain Kenpachi Zaraki has been gone since Yhwach was defeated, no one knows where he went."

Ichigo scratched his chin. "Why would Kenpachi just leave like that?"

"From what I was told, he managed to awaken his zanpakuto, and even his bankai… but his lieutenant, Yachiru, vanished. He told Madarame that he was going to look for her, but he never came back."

"So that's two captains gone, is anyone else is missing?" Chad asked.

Yoruichi began to count them off on her fingers. "Aside from Captains Juushiro and Zaraki, Twelfth Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is also incapacitated."

"He's the leader of the Department of Research and Development," Chad mumbled to himself, "isn't he supposed to be busy?"

"Well, yeah," Yoruichi shrugged. "But he isn't supposed to seal himself off in his lab and never come out. Apparently he's turned into some kind of hermit. From the people I've heard talking, he spends day and night pouring over some kind of test tube. Only Kurotsuchi's lieutenant is given access, but it seems like it isn't often. The last time anyone got any updates on the captain was several months ago."

"That still leaves nine captains, though," Karin stated, "and these guys are supposed to be the ultimate power of the Soul Society, aside from the Spirit King and the Royal Guard. How are we supposed to fight them all off at once?!"

Everyone gave Karin a half smile, as if amused by her question.

"Just what the hell is so funny?!" she asked exasperatedly.

"You obviously don't know your brother that well if you don't think he could hold his own against the captains," Yoruichi smiled, patting the girl on the head.

"Yeah," Chad gave Karin a thumbs-up. "Within his first few days in the Soul Society, he achieved bankai and took out three lieutenants with one attack. You should have a bit more faith in him."

Ichigo's cheeks turned a little red, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "You guys are plenty strong, too. And I wouldn't have made it nearly as far as I have without the help of my friends."

Chad slugged Ichigo's shoulder. "We've got your back."

Ichigo returned the blow, "Thanks, man."

"Ok, you two," Yoruichi rolled her eyes at Karin, "let's get on with the plan."

* * *

"It sure it dark down here, isn't it?" Orihime asked brightly.

She and Uryu were following Head Captain Kyoraku down a steep, narrow stone stairway. There was no light, save the torch in the Captain Commander's hand, and the walls glistened with moisture. She didn't know how far below the ground they were, but the feeling of all that earth over her head tightened her chest and left her breathless. Without thinking, she grabbed Uryu's hand, and the tightness waned, allowing her to take a deep, shuddering breath. Uryu said nothing, but he gently squeezed Orihime's fingers, letting her know that he was there for her.

"The Muken is a very special cell directly below Squad One's headquarters," Kyoraku explained. "We're not sure why it's here, or what it used to contain. As far as I can guess, Old Man Yama had it built so that he could keep careful watch over someone… or something. Now, however, we use it to contain Aizen."

"Somehow I doubt just this is enough to keep him locked up," Uryu said. He didn't say anything about the doubt gnawing away at his insides. The possibility that Ichigo was right- that Aizen had been freed somehow- made him glad that Orihime was holding his hand.

"You're right, of course. If all we needed to hold Aizen was a hole in the ground, I wouldn't have had to spend all day verbally bullying Central 46 into giving me the keys to his prison. We have several layers of security, and a multitude of spirit energy suppressors. When you come down here, don't be surprised if you feel a little faint. That's just your spirit energy being siphoned away."

As soon as he finished his statement, Orihime felt woozy. Her eyelids drooped, and she uttered a small "Oh," as if she'd just remembered something important. Her foot slipped on an especially slick step, and she tumbled backward. Uryu caught her an instant before her head slammed into the cold wet stone stairs, and she blinked as her vision swam, and the face of her savior came into view.

"You alright?" Uryu inquired softly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he inspected the woman for wounds.

"No, I'm ok," she said, her cheeks turning pink. "You don't have to worry about me so much, Uryu."

"I'm going to worry, regardless," he said dryly as he pulled her to her feet. "That's what friends do."

Being called a friend made Orihime's heart sink a little bit, but she wasn't sure why. She put that aside and smiled brightly, which made Uryu's stern expression soften. "You're right."

"Keep up you two," Kyoraku said, "we've still got a ways to go."

* * *

As the hours passed, Ichigo, Chad, Yoruichi, and Karin all made their way towards the Seireitei, but whereas Yoruichi and Chad soared effortlessly through the skies-

"WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

-Ichigo and Karin were not doing so well. Karin, as it turned out, was not the greatest at flash step. Her technique was good, her execution, however, was lacking. She fell behind every time Ichigo, Chad, and Yoruichi tried to speed up. The end result being that Karin rode on Ichigo's back, her fingernails biting into his shoulders as she screamed in his ear for him to slow down.

"Ease up on my shoulders, would you? One of them was just about taken off yesterday!" Ichigo called over the howling wind, and his howling sibling.

"SLOOOOOWWWW DOOOOOOWWWNNNN!" she cried.

Yoruichi and Chad shared an amused smirk before picking up even more speed, leaving Ichigo to catch them up as Karin shrieked at the top of her lungs.

* * *

Wedding bells rang merrily as people flocked into the Seireitei. Regardless of whether they were shinigami, or just citizens of the Rukon district, it did not matter. All were welcome at what was promised to be the wedding of the century.

Grand red carpets lined the streets, which were decorated with pedestals topped with flowers. Hell butterflies swarmed the pedestals, granting light as the sun slowly sank behind the horizon. Above them, traditional Japanese lanterns hung from tall posts connected by miles of rope that zigzagged to form a canopy of sorts. In one of the great plazas of the Seireitei, rows and rows of benches were assembled in a wide circle around a central raised platform, which was graced with a magnificent white obelisk woven through with orchids, lotuses, and roses. Above all of this, Sogyoku hill rose ominously, towering over the procession like a giant waiting to strike.

As the pews filled with shinigami and citizens of the Rukon district, captains took careful watch of everyone who came and went from the great gates surrounding the Seireitei. At the White Way Gate, which lay just to the west of the plaza where the ceremony would be held, Byakuya Kuchiki stood with one hand upon his weapon, peering at each guest with careful scrutiny. He could not sense Ichigo Kurosaki, but the nobleman was no fool. The traitor would show himself, sooner or later, and Byakuya was prepared to head him off when he did.

* * *

A few miles outside of the Seireitei, where the city gave way to rolling hills and expansive tracts of land owned by hard working farmers, four people stood at a shrine that had been long since abandoned. Each of them wore a hooded black cloak to obscure their features, and their spiritual pressures. For the man in the lead, however, the cloak was not enough.

"Your spirit energy is still leaking," Yoruichi muttered in Ichigo's ear. "You won't be able to get close to the Seireitei without being detected, even with Urahara's reiatsu reducing cloak."

"I'm controlling it as best I can," Ichigo replied shortly, staring out over the familiar shape of the Soul Society as if he were searching for something.

"I know, and with how much training you've done it's no wonder you're having a difficult time controlling your spirit energy. It's a good thing I came prepared."

From within her blouse, the dark skinned cat woman produced an eyepatch. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the woman until she flipped it around, and Ichigo saw miniature mouths, chewing, gnawing and gnashing away endlessly. He could feel his spirit energy being sucked into the eyepatch just from being near it.

"Wear this," the noblewoman said, pulling back Ichigo's hood and forcing him around. "It will conceal your reiatsu from the captains, and allow us to get inside more easily."

After tying the eyepatch over Ichigo's left eye, she allowed him to turn around. He felt incredibly stupid and uncomfortable, like a kid in a stage play dressed as a pirate. All he needed was a goofy hat, a foam sword, and a paper mache parrot on his shoulder. Chad and Karin, however looking at Ichigo apprehensively.

"You look a lot more intimidating like that," Chad nodded approvingly.

Karin looked on in silence. Her stomach was churning unpleasantly, and she looked a little pale. Nervousness ate away at her worse than it had before any of her soccer games. Perhaps that was because her very life was on the line this time.

"Are we doing this? Or are we gonna stand here all day?" Her annoyed tone made it clear that she was tired of the suspenseful waiting.

"Yeah, let's go." Ichigo turned back to the Soul Society, a rogue breeze tugging at the hem of his cloak as Yoruichi, Chad, and Karin all fell into place beside him, bracing themselves for what was sure to be a difficult battle.

* * *

An orchestra played a doleful tune, and the great gates to the Seireitei boomed shut. The four captains whom had been guarding the gates all arrived and took their seats in the front row, which was reserved for family, friends, and honored guests.

As one, the people stood from their seats. Many of the people from the Rukon district craned their necks, trying to get a look at the man striding down the carpet lined street, for he was said to be a nobleman from the Soul King's Palace. Lord Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku gracefully strode between the pews, his head held high, his lips curled with a small, charismatic smile. His piercing eyes seemed to pass over the people on either side of the runway, sending chills up the spines of everyone he looked at as his immense spiritual power rolled over them in waves. Whether it was in looks, titles, or raw strength, this man seemed less like a man, and more like a deity. Those who managed to meet his gaze faltered, their eyes turned downward, as if they had accidentally found themselves staring into the sun. Though everyone was looking right at him, if any had been asked to describe his features, they would likely be at a loss for words, save perhaps 'noble' or 'beautiful.' Of course, none of them would be able to finger the sinister cause of their lack of ability to articulate his features. After all, who in their right minds would think that it was the result of the Kyoka Suigetsu's Perfect Hypnosis?

When the imposter came to stand underneath the white arch decorated with flowers atop the podium, he raised a hand, and everyone took their seats once more. Three men took to the stage with their lord; Kenzou, Kenichi, and Kazue were all dressed in their standard navy blue shihakushos. Now, however, they each wore a silken sky blue mantle over their right shoulders, and matching silver diadems. Kazue, though a little peaky, looked relatively unscathed by his bout with Ichigo the day before. His eye had been successfully healed, and the only sign of his injuries was his constant itching of the spot where Ichigo had struck him.

The crowd waited. Quiet mumbling filled the pews as people grew impatient. They looked around, wondering where the bride was, and which direction she would come from. The rumbling of talk grew louder as people chatted openly, excitement and anticipation filling the air. Minutes ticked by, the sun sank lower on the horizon until finally, it was gone. The lanterns kept everything bright, and the hell butterflies circling overhead entranced the people of the Rukongai.

Then, from the end of the same aisle Hideyoshi had come down, the click of heels on carpeted stone could be heard. A hush fell over the assembled crowd, slowly rolling over them like a wave as the orchestra strummed up another tune.

"Look at her-"

"She's gorgeous!"

"-absolutely stunning-"

"-here she comes!"

With each step, Rukia felt herself grow more and more self-conscious as everyone present turned to stare at her. As hard as she tried to simply look straight forward, she found it was impossible, as her eyes would be drawn to the Lord of the Kamisaigaiku clan- the man she would be marrying once she got to the end of the aisle.

She was dressed in a resplendent kimono, the very same one she'd worn during her tea ceremony, and had been worn before by her sister, Hisana, when she'd married Byakuya Kuchiki. On her feet were shoes Kamisaigaiku had gotten for her from the world of the living: modern day slip on heels with flowers on the front. They were a bit gaudy, in Rukia's opinion, but she appreciated them nonetheless. It was better than wearing tabi and sandals down the aisle.

Rukia's hair was done up in a tight knot on the top of her head, held in place by hairpins decorated with live orchids. A gentle layer of make-up enhanced her lips and eyelashes, which made her feel strange. Ordinarily, she did not wear make-up. A member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had no time for such things.

Each steady, deliberate step brought her closer to her husband, to her future, to her destiny. She could practically see the life she would live in the care of the Kamisaigaiku clan. She would get married, have children, and live happily ever after… but something was wrong. She could not picture herself with Hideyoshi. Her mind twisted the images, and instead she saw herself with a handsome young man with a confident smile, and a shock of spiky, unruly orange hair.

The thought of Ichigo almost made her fall out of step. Taking a deep breath, she paced herself with the music, and got back into the rhythm. She was close, now, and everything was about to change. For a moment, she selfishly wished that Ichigo were there, just so that she might feel better.

' _Don't be stupid_ ,' she chided herself, ' _Ichigo won't come here. Not when all of the captains are assembled._ '

The bride arrived at the raised platform, and was helped onto it by her fiancé, who reached out a hand to her, smiling like he was Prince Charming.

After alighting on the stage, she gave a slight bow to Kamisaigaiku, and stood with him beneath the white obelisk. A shinigami in white robes that she did not know came forward and began to speak, but Rukia wasn't listening. The tightness in her chest was slowly getting worse, as if someone were tightening a giant invisible vice. Her breaths were shallow and uneven, but she held her chin high, staring at the bouquet in her hands as she listened to the robed man speak of things like love, honor, and souls bound together for eternity.

And then, before she knew it-

"If there is anyone of note who would object to this union, please speak now, or forever hold your silence!"

Rukia felt her heart hammering so hard that she could hear it. She closed her eyes, sighing in relief. That's when the sound of an explosion reached her ears.

Opening her eyes, she peered into the distance and froze as a massive blue reiatsu flared to life behind the White Way Gate. The gate was blasted inward, crumbling to pieces as blue flames coated the smoldering remains. Gasps rose from the crowd as everyone turned to survey the damage. A few people clapped confusedly, as if this were just a part of the wedding, though that quickly died out. From within the hole in the wall four people emerged, stepping over the crumbling remains as they advanced upon the wedding procession.

Three of the intruders had their hoods up, and thanks to their cloaks, it was impossible for anyone to sense their spiritual pressures. The man in the lead, however, did not bother with the hood. He had a large sword slung over his shoulder, and an eyepatch over his left eye. Rukia felt the world tilt beneath her as she stared at Ichigo. He looked different, somehow, as if he had grown older since she'd last seen him. His black cloak billowed as he stepped through the flames his spirit energy had created. Even from a distance, his power was overwhelming, and several people rose from their seats. Some were seated officers of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, rising to meet the intruder. Others were people who had the good sense to run for their lives.

The Eleventh Division was already developing a strike force. Their interim leader, Ikkaku Madarame brandished his spear, raising it over his head as he addressed his comrades.

"For the Soul Society!" He roared to delighted cries from his fellows, "For honor! For glory! For Captain Kenpachi!"

And with that, he and a small squadron of fighters made to intercept Ichigo and his mysterious comrades. The tallest of the cloaked figures stepped forward and cast off his mantle, revealing Chad.

Both of his arms had already been transformed with his Fullbring, and he split off from Ichigo's party with a curt nod. Ichigo nodded and kept walking, headed right for the wedding ceremony.

"El Directo!"

With that one blow, Ikkaku's entire squadron was knocked around like bowling pins. Their formation broke and fell apart, leaving soldiers scrambling to get back on their feet and recover their swords. Ikkaku, however, did not cease his charge.

But that's where Ichigo lost track of his friend. He was too busy staring at the beautiful girl in the wedding kimono. They locked eyes, even though he was still about a city block away from her. He picked up his stride, moving faster. Several captains moved to intercept Ichigo, but none were quite so fast as the Captain of the Second Division.

Soifon appeared so quickly, Ichigo didn't have time to react, but as luck would have it, he didn't need to. The petite captain's shikai zanpauto, Suzumebachi, was inches away from Ichigo's flesh, but a firm hand gripped Soifon's wrist, and prevented her from attacking.

One of the hooded figures had caught Soifon's arm mid stab- a feat unachievable by anyone except-

"Lady Yoruichi," breathed Soifon, her face turning red as the hooded figure cast off her cloak.

"Good to see you, darling," Yoruichi whispered, smiling sweetly at her successor.

The two of them were so close that their bodies were almost touching. Soifon pushed, but Yoruichi wouldn't budge. It wouldn't do for Ichigo to get stabbed before the plan could go into effect.

Before Soifon could stop him, Ichigo had already passed the two women by. He passed row after row of pews, some of which were still filled with people too terrified to move. He only stopped when his way was blocked by five captains. Rojuro Otoribashi, Byakuya Kuchiki, Tetsuzaemon Iba, Lisa Yadomaru, and Kensei Muguruma all barred the way forward. Ichigo tore his eyes from Rukia as Byakuya stepped forward, and pointed menacingly at him.

"Hado Eighty-Eight," Byakuya uttered menacingly. "Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō."

Blinding blue lighting shot from Byakuya's hand, and he braced his wrist against the recoil as a pillar of destructive spirit energy lanced forth. Ichigo raised his sword to block the spell, but felt a hand grip his shoulder. The final member of his party stepped forward, the hood of her cloak being pushed off her head by the force of the spell barreling towards her.

"Bakudo Eighty-One," chanted Karin. "Danku!"

A great wall of energy sprang to life before Karin and Ichigo. The spells clashed, and the barrier Karin had erected held against Byakuya's kido. His eyes grew narrow, and he stared at Karin with poorly disguised distaste, and more than a little confusion. Just who was this girl?

Ichigo stepped forward once again, putting himself at the forefront of the captains' attentions so that they did not try to attack Karin. He was so close to Rukia that he could see the indecisiveness etched on her face. Staring right into her eyes, he drew in a deep breath and announced for all to hear, "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute shinigami, and son of Isshin Shiba, former Captain of the Tenth Division! As is my right as a noble of the Shiba clan, I object to this arranged marriage!"

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **If I had a dollor for every line break in this bitch, I'd have a lot of dollars. Hey everyone, it's me, ya boi, back at it again with this dumpster fire. Sorry I haven't been posting, real life has been taking priority lately. All good things, though, so I can't complain. Oh, wait, yes I can.**_

 _ **Moving along, I've been trying to watch all of the Bleach movies to get some of my Bleach Mojo back. That's probably why I kept doing the whole scene change/line break crap. Also, it helps to keep track of everyone. If you found yourself thinking that this was rushed, you're probably right. I've been typing up what I could over the last month with what little time I had to spare, and ended up falling ill, so I took the time to read it through, tidy it up, and post it.**_

 _ **In any case, here we have the training montage/romance advancement/powerhouse scenes all mashed up into a nice nie thousand word package for your... entertainment... if it can so be called.**_

 _ **And yes, Ichigo is totally powerful enough to burst right through soul reducing stone with nothing but his reiatsu. If you don't think he could, you're wrong.**_

 _ **But I'm gonna post some music for you guys to listen to. Sorry if it has already been posted, my ipod took a shit on me, and I lost like thousands of songs to look through and share with you guys.**_

 _ ***MUSIC***_

 _ **Bishop Knife Trick- Fall Out Boy (I listened to this when it first came out and didn't care for it. Now I can't stop listening to it)**_

 _ **Dangerous-Shinedown (for when Ichigo busts down the gate and walks in like a fucking badass)**_

 _ **Do It Myself- Russ (Ichigo's new theme song?**_ _ **)**_

 _ **Revenge, and A Little Bit More-Unlike Pluto (idk, it just works)**_

 _ **On My Own-Three Days Grace (remembering the one I left at home)**_

 _ **Signing off. Here's hoping updates might come with a bit more regularity... maybe.**_


	16. When Good Men Go To War

"That can't be true-" one spectator scoffed.

"Shiba clan? Aren't they extinct?" asked another quietly.

"He looks just like Kaien when he was young-" someone noted.

"-spitting image of him!"

"-but his hair and eyes are different."

"Is he telling the truth?"

As the commotion from Ichigo's proclamation died down, Karin felt her knees knock. The tension in the air was palpable, like a lit fuse on a stick of dynamite.

But then the battle commenced, and all of her fears left her as adrenaline took over.

She'd had once heard it said that devils flee in terror when good men go to war. She and her father had been watching a war documentary some years prior when Isshin had told her that, and those words had stuck with her ever since.

At first, she had brushed the words off. It was obviously one of those fancy proverbs that stem from idealistic people; the kind with no sense in their heads and no clue as to what real life was like. Her father was a prime example.

But when Ichigo's objection to the marriage went unopposed, and all five captains hefted their weapons in answer, she felt she finally understood the meaning of that phrase, and why Ichigo's friends respected him so much.

Karin had always known her brother was strong, and his spirit energy reached heights that she couldn't even fathom. But watching him fight now, with that deadly calm expression on his face, made him look like a man she'd never seen before. And suddenly, she was markedly glad that she was on her brother's side. The guy was a steadfast warrior, through and through.

Ichigo caught Rose's golden whip around his wrist, letting it coil around his forearm before grabbing hold of it and spinning on his heel. Rose was lifted off his feet and thrown sky high, smashing through lampposts and lanterns before crumpling into a heap upon the pavement.

Tetsuzaemon, Lisa, and Kensei all rushed forward, their swords poised to strike. Ichigo dragged Zangetsu in a wide arc, turning the blade so that the blunt end was facing his opponents. The power of the strike drove clear through Tetsuzaemon's guard and sent him hurtling across the plaza, where he crashed through the wall of a building and did not return. Lisa and Kensei used the opportunity to activate their hollow masks and shikais. Kensei's sword turned into a tactical knife, and Lisa's grew into a spear.

As Ichigo engaged the two Visoreds, Karin noticed that one of the captains hadn't moved. It was the one who'd fired a spell at her; a handsome man with sharp features and long black hair. He stood towards the back, one hand raised before his face, as if he were praying. His lips moved, but Karin could not make out the words. Her stomach dropped out from under her as she realized he was preparing to cast a spell, and judging from the length of the incantation, it would be something incredibly powerful.

She only knew one spell of protection, and that was Bakudo Eighty-One: Danku. If Byakuya were allowed to finish his incantation, there would be no way for her to block it, as a fully recited spell was far more powerful than one without an incantation. In an act of desperation, she cast about for something she might do if this were a soccer game.

 _'The best defense is a good offense_ ,' her coach used to say.

Her mind fumbled for a moment, as if to say, _'Really? That's the best you can come up with?'_ And then suddenly it clicked, like someone had flipped a switch in her brain.

She pointed at Byakuya, and the energy of the Seireitei gathered around her hand. "Raikoho!"

Karin hadn't even said the spell number, nor the incantation. She wasn't even entirely sure where the knowledge of the spell had come from. Perhaps she'd read it in the archives at the Shihouin Training Facility, or heard of it from Lady Yoruichi, but something about it resonated within her. It was a mid-high level kido, but it felt as easy to cast as Hado One: Sho.

A large arc of golden electricity crackled in the palm of her hand before firing off towards the captain. Byakuya felt the energy, and opened his eyes only to be blinded. The surprise made him falter, and the spell he'd been casting tapered off into nothingness as he grit his teeth. He was an instant from being struck when a great bone serpent coiled around him protectively, absorbing the spell and taking very little damage.

"Hold it right there, Karin Kurosaki," called a familiar voice. "You can't just attack captains all willy nilly like that."

Following the trail of bones from the enclosed captain, Karin noticed that they were attached to a sword hilt held by none other than Renji Abarai. Compared to how he had looked the last time Karin had laid eyes on him, he appeared to be doing much better. At the very least, he was standing on his own two feet.

"I suspect that if you apologize to Captain Kuchiki, and turn around and go home, he might even forgive you for trying to blow him up," Renji's bankai uncoiled from around his captain, who brushed off his haori and frowned between Ichigo and Karin.

"Ah, now it is clear to me. You are Ichigo's younger sibling. I can see the family resemblance."

But Karin paid no attention to Byakuya. She'd never really considered herself shy, but talking to insanely hot guys was not one of her strong suits… and Byakuya was so insanely hot that he was sort of hard to look at. His darks eyes were so deep and alluring that she could just tumble into them, never to return….

"What is it with everyone telling me I should go home?" Karin asked, crossing her arms as she glared daggers at Renji. "And by the way, you still owe me one, idiot. Or did you forget how I carried your drunk ass up the stairs?"

Renji blushed, and Byakuya raised an eyebrow at his lieutenant.

"The two of you… have a history?" the nobleman asked.

"Yeah, he showed up at my house piss drunk last week! Can you believe that?!" Karin gave Byakuya a half smile, as if they were sharing a joke. Byakuya, however frowned at his subordinate, who scratched the back of his neck and did not meet his captain's eyes.

"Why, exactly, were you in the world of the living. Lieutenant Abarai?"

The redhead turned pale. "Well, y-ya see, Captain Kuchiki, I-um-"

"He wanted to talk to Ichigo," Karin supplied. "But I'm the one who answered the door. I carried your heavy, smelly, drunken butt all the way up to Ichigo's room! You owe me big time, so step aside, buster!"

The way she spoke, with such conviction and certainty, was something Isshin had told her she got from her mom. Apparently it was part of what drew her dad to Masaki. He'd always had a thing for strong women. Having to live in a gigai and be around her all the time lest her hollow manifest was only a bonus for the former Captain of the Tenth Division.

But regardless, Karin's words had the intended effect. Byakuya and Renji were both staring at her, and they were both at a loss for words. It felt to Karin like a Mexican standoff. Each of them looked at each other, and as soon as she felt they might take interest in the battles raging around them, she glared even harder. A small part of her wished Byakuya was attracted to strong women. Maybe if she caught Rukia's bouquet, the two of them could….

* * *

Lisa and Kensei both hit the ground, Ichigo having shattered their masks and left them powerless. Other shinigami closed in, but he fended them off easily. With his newfound power, it was almost too easy. He just pointed Zangetsu and released the energy pent up within him, blasting them away and leaving them stunned. Whatever he did, he made sure no one died. Aizen would be defeated, and no one would be killed, except for the traitor and Ichigo. But before he had to die-

"RUKIA!" Ichigo called out.

The sound of his voice made her jump, and her bouquet fell to her feet, the petals scattering around her.

"Ichigo," she muttered absently.

The substitute shinigami grabbed a charging soul reaper and bodily threw him onto a pile he'd been racking up.

 _'You would think these people would know when someone was out of their league,_ ' Ichigo thought to himself.

"Rukia! I know that you don't want this! Leave with me!"

Kazue, who stood off to the side, bared his teeth and began to draw his sword. He was stopped by Lord Kamisaigaiku, who looked on with a complacent smile. "Let's hear what he has to say."

"It's not about what I want," Rukia called out. "You know that!"

"Stop saying that and just listen to me, dammit!" Ichigo had to pause as Lieutenant Omaeda began to advance on him. Ichigo ducked a swing of his flail and then kicked the lieutenant's legs out from under him. He hit the ground face first, and a tooth popped out. Instead of continuing to fight, Omaeda dropped the handle of his flail and frantically searched for his missing tooth. Ichigo wiped the sweat from his brow. "You say this isn't about what you want? Then how about what you deserve?! You saved the world! _WE_ saved the world! You deserve to be happy! We both do!"

Rukia's voice began to crack. "You're being selfish!"

"And you call me stubborn!" Ichigo laughed, rolling his eyes and blocking a blow from Shuhei, who joined the battle to avenge his captain. The substitute shinigami felt enemies all around him. Lifting Zangetsu over his head, he turned it and stabbed it into the ground. The stones beneath his feet exploded, sending him into the sky, and shooting rubble and debris at the enemies trying to encircle him, like a giant landmine. He floated in the air, where no one seemed eager to approach him, as he had the high ground.

"Look, Rukia, I'm not gonna argue this with you right now! You _know_ that something is off about all this! Think! Why would I act the way that I am? Who do you know that could scare me into fighting the entirety of the Soul Society just to get you back?! Who does Kamisaigaiku remind you of?!"

Ichigo was not skilled in the control of his reiatsu, but given his training with Yoruichi, he was beginning to learn proper control of it. Focusing, he peered through Rukia's body and into her own soul. It glowed as white as the driven snow, and a chill swept over the substitute shinigami. He could sense her soul within his own. It lunged like a caged beast, and he was more than happy to oblige in letting it out. Holding out a hand, he gathered a small portion of his own spirit energy and charged it with memories of his time with Aizen, and all of the things he'd experienced since coming to the Soul Society. Into that tiny orb, he poured his love for her, his realizations that he had done wrong, and his desire to make amends. He shared how tired he was of fighting with her, and how desperate he was that she understand that she mustn't go through with this.

It was a longshot, and chances were good that so much information would only serve to scramble her focus and jumble her emotions. But if there was even a tiny chance, the thinnest sliver of hope that she might be able to understand a portion of his message, then it was worth it.

He lobbed the energy as one might throw a baseball. It streaked, forming a beam of light that hit Rukia in the chest and made her stagger.

Fortunately, Ichigo's message did get through. However, it was not the one he would've picked.

 _"Who does Kamisaigaiku remind you of?!"_ he had asked.

It was impossible to guess, at first… until Ichigo's spirit energy hit her. There was only one man who was ever so unshakably calm and soft spoken, and one man alone who might terrify Ichigo to the point where he would turn himself into a renegade. There was only one man who always wore that gentle smile, while behind it, sinister intentions lurked.

She turned to look at Kamisaigaiku, who stared right into her eyes. His smile widened, and then, without so much as a twitch in that flawless smile, he stabbed Rukia in the back with the Kyoka Suigetsu, which had grown back to full size.

Ichigo felt as though his heart had fallen into the raging battle below, where Karin, Yoruichi, and Chad were stalling for time. People ran hither and thither, but none of that mattered to Ichigo, who could barely process the slow red stain working across Rukia's midsection, where the blade of the Kyoka Suigetsu protruded.

"As you can see, Ichigo, I am a man of my word." Aizen called out to him. "And you are nothing but a spoiled child who does not know the meaning of the word 'no.' Let this be the day you realize that your actions have consequences."

Rukia crumpled to her knees and slowly turned, looking up into the face of the man she had been about to marry. Aizen smiled down at her, the blade of his sword still lodged in her gut. Rukia wasn't sure how, but she could see through the illusion. Could it be because she was in her death throes? Or did it have to do with the fact that the sword was still making contact with her flesh?

Blood rushed in Ichigo's veins as hate rose in his gut. He had felt anger before, usually in a healthy, righteous form. Hate, however, was not something he was familiar with. It spread through him like a poison. He _hated_ Aizen, he wanted to kill him, to rip him into pieces with his bare hands. He wanted to destroy Aizen utterly, and feed the little scrimping bits of him left afterward to the Kushinada in Hell.

Black, boiling loathing rose like a tidal wave, and engulfed Ichigo so quickly that he didn't even have the time to think about resisting. In the inky darkness, two words floated in his vision, shining like red neon against the pitch black.

 ** _VASTO LORDE_**

And then, Ichigo knew no more.

* * *

"Here we are," Kyoraku said.

They had arrived at a heavy metal door with a slot around eye height that was closed. Even through the door, and even with the spirit energy reducing stones all around them, Uryu could feel Aizen's presence through the door. It was so powerful that he felt as though he'd just stepped into an invisible curtain of water. It washed over his skin with an unpleasant sensation, and made him break out in goosebumps.

"His reiatsu feels… different than I remember," Orihime said, tilting her head as she frowned at the door.

Uryu's eyebrows knit together. Orihime had never really developed her spiritual powers, beyond manifesting shields and healing injuries. It seemed that her ability to sense another's reiatsu, however, was even more refined than his, because he couldn't sense any difference from when he'd seen Aizen at the end of the war with the Sternritter.

Kyoraku took out a key ring and began to undo the locks on the door. There were so many different kinds of locks that even Uryu couldn't identify them all. There were biometric scanners that pulsed with soft green light, normal padlocks, and combination locks that didn't make any kind of sense.

If anyone save the Head Captain tried to free Aizen, they'd be down there for centuries scratching their heads and trying to figure out how to bypass all that security.

Not only that, but Uryu was sure that each lock had its own fail safe. If it detected any attempts at forced entry, there would no doubt be terrible consequences. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were most definitely not alone in that dark stone corridor.

"All finished," Kyoraku said, pushing the door open and letting Uryu and Orihime enter first.

The cell was dimly lit, though a single beam of light fell into the center of the room, where an occupied chair was set. In that chair, smiling pleasantly, was none other than Sosuke Aizen. Kyoraku unlocked the man's mouth with a key from a long, slim box.

"Ah, good evening, Head Captain. I wasn't expecting any sort of company."

Kyoraku looked over the man in the chair, seeming to age twenty years in the span of twenty seconds. Pulling his hat low to cover his eyes, the Captain-Commander said quietly. "Ichigo was telling the truth."

Uryu froze, eyes wide. Kyoraku had to be mistaken. Aizen was right in front of them. He was about to say as much when Orihime gasped and covered her mouth with both of her hands.

Then, Uryu looked at Aizen not with his eyes, but his heart. He felt the incredibly powerful reiatsu of the man in the chair, and saw an aura of emerald around his body.

 _'Aizen has a violet reiatsu,'_ Uryu realized.

"Orihime, Uryu, I'd like to present to you Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku," Kyoraku gave a polite bow to the man locked in the chair. "Leader of the Kamisaigaiku clan, and Commander of the Royal Stealth Force."

The man in the chair seemed to sink a little lower into it, relief painted on his face. It was odd, as until that point, no one had ever seen Aizen make such an expression. It almost made him look human.

"If you know who I am, then you must have realized that I have been replaced by an imposter."

"It wasn't I who realized it," Kyoraku admitted sadly, working to undo the rest of the restraints.

The man who looked like Aizen stood from his chair, rubbing his wrists and smiling broadly. Unlike the true Aizen, though, he seemed genuinely happy.

"Then tell me," he laughed. "Who do I have to thank for my freedom?"

* * *

All the battles that had been raging through the plaza came to an abrupt halt as everyone, ryoka and soul reaper alike, turned to stare at the pitch black orb of reiatsu hovering over the ceremony. Chad was frozen with a man lifted over his head, caught mid throw when he'd noticed the change in Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

Yoruichi and Soifon, whom had been moving so quickly they were nigh impossible to track, stopped and stared as the orb grew larger, pulsating with malignant energy.

Karin and Byakuya were frozen as well, the both of them still red in the face from verbally berating Renji when they'd taken notice of the orb.

Kazue, Kenichi, and Kenzou all stepped in front of their lord and drew their swords, ready for whatever was about to come. All the lanterns flickered and died, and the hell butterflies vacated the area. The only source of light left was the dim crimson outline on the great sphere of black energy.

It slowly melted away to reveal a hollow unlike any they'd ever seen. He was humanoid in appearance, albeit skeletal, and garbed in a ragged grey shihakusho that looked like it'd been bleached of its color by the sands of Hueco Mundo. On his sternum was a gaping hole, through which there seemed to be an endless void. The hollow wore a thick cloak that had also lost its color, and was frayed and tattered about its edges. On the hollow's face was a horned mask. The maroon lines that went from the forehead to the jaw had worn away some time ago, but it looked as though someone had redrawn them with blood, keeping them fresh and making the mask grotesquely unnerving.

His waist length hair was the same color as Ichigo's, but the eyes behind the mask were black with amber irises. A black daito was clutched in his bony, malnourished hand, and though he looked like he could be blown over by a rogue breeze, the spiritual pressure he emitted was more powerful than anything ever felt from a hollow.

This was the Vasto Lorde, the hollow that had ravaged Hueco Mundo for an entire year. His body was covered in small scars. The cloak he wore was no doubt one of the same ones Renji or Rukia had dropped during their mission to rescue Orihime.

Byakuya drew his sword and tried to keep his hands steady. He'd never been afraid of a hollow in his life. Not even Yammy, Espada number Zero, had managed to get under his skin. This one, however, succeeded in doing just that. Everything about it screamed survival of the fittest. The way it held stock still was more predatory than human. It may have appeared to be malnourished, but Byakuya knew better. This hollow had eaten so many others that it was a miracle there were any hollows left for the soul reapers to fight.

Just looking at the beast (for what else could such a creature be called?) made Byakuya's blood run cold. The rule of nature was survival of the fittest, and this hollow had lived for a year in Hueco Mundo, surviving in what could be considered the harshest of conditions.

But the hollow took no interest in Byakuya. It was focused on one man: Lord Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku.

Someone screamed. Lower level shinigami turned tail and ran, all semblances of honor and chivalry forgotten as the powerful waves of spiritual pressure cascaded over them. Yoruichi used her flash step and grabbed Chad and Karin.

"C'mon, you two," she said hurriedly, "we have to go!"

"We can't just leave Ichigo here!" Karin protested, wrenching her wrist from Yoruichi's grip.

The noblewoman clenched her teeth in frustration. "That's _not_ your brother, Karin. That's his hollow, and we don't want to stick around to see how this ends."

"But-"

"Ichigo told me to drag you away if things didn't go as planned." Yoruichi hissed. "And I'm willing to do just that, if it comes right down to it. Your brother will be fine, but I can't say the same for everyone else foolish enough to stick around. Now let's go!"

Crouching low, Yoruichi scooped up Karin under her arm and flash stepped away. Karin yelled for them to go back, but within moments, they were already out of the Seireitei, and in another heartbeat, they were gone from the city altogether.

Meanwhile, Kazue, Kenzou, and Kenichi all stood at the ready to defend their lord.

Kenzou, being the most level headed, spoke quietly. "My Lord, that _thing_ only has eyes for you. I would suggest you retreat and allow us to handle this."

"No, I must stay." The noble decided.

All three of his attendants turned to look at him in askance. The noble shrugged and said lightly, "If I leave, he may tear up the city looking for me. I'd like to remain close at hand, and help if I may."

* * *

But none of them seemed to notice Rukia, who was sitting on the floor, blood pooling around her spread-eagle legs as she tried to stymie the bleeding. Her wedding kimono was ruined. Her vision was getting darker, and it was harder for her to keep her eyes open. She'd gone into shock, and the pain wasn't quite so debilitating now. She didn't have her zanpakuto on her, so bankai was probably not an option, but perhaps if she could focus her spirit energy, she could cool the wound enough to keep her from losing any more blood.

Tears streamed from her eyes. What was supposed to be a happy day was going to end with her death. Rukia would never admit it, but she was afraid to die. There was so much good she'd wanted to do, so much more she could have done. She realized that there was so much she wanted to say to her friends. She wanted to hold them all, and tell them she loved them. She wanted to apologize to Renji. She wished she could thank her brother for taking her in, and caring for her.

But most of all, she wished she could hold Ichigo. She wanted so badly to be near him, if only so that she wouldn't be alone when she passed on. She wanted to hold onto him and never let him go. She wished she could apologize for hurting him, and tell him the truth. She wanted to see him smile that confident smile, and feel the warmth of his body. One last kiss before she died was all she could ask for, and more than she deserved.

* * *

The hollow wasted no time. It lowered its horns at Aizen, who raised a hand and showed off the silver bracelet on his wrist. A dome of silver light encased the entirety of the stage as the Ward of the Spirit King activated.

 ** _"Cero Apagon!"_** The hollow screeched.

Every particle of reishi in the Seireitei seemed to wince, as if disturbed by what the hollow had said. It gathered into a point between his horns, rotating slowly as it charged.

With an animalistic howl, the hollow released the cero. It was a black beam of spirit energy with a violet outline, and it moved much more quickly than a normal cero. It struck the Ward, and exploded in a burst of black flames.

When the smoke from the attack had cleared, Aizen, his cohorts, and the stage were all still there, completely untouched.

"A nice try," Kamisaigaiku said bracingly. "But I'm afraid nothing can pierce the Ward of the-"

 ** _"Hsssshsssssshsssssshssssssssss."_** The hollow's warbled breathing came out strangely, like a hiss. It took a second for Aizen to realize that the hollow was laughing. And then, he saw why.

At the point of impact, where the cero had struck the Ward, a small hole had appeared. It grew more and more with each passing second, slowly disintegrating. The shield seemed to be trying to regenerate the lost reishi, but the cero ate away at it too quickly. After a moment it was as wide as a finger. Then two. Then it was large enough for a fist.

The hollow's mask clicked with the sound of breaking bones as the jaw unhinged. Between rows of skeletal teeth, an orb of red energy appeared before firing off towards Aizen. Kenzou, Kenichi, and Kazue stood before their lord, their zanpakuto braced together so that they might block the strike. Kenzou stood in the middle, his sword at the ready, with Kazue and Kenichi on either side of him, their blades crossed in an 'X' shape over his own.

The beam of red made contact, and all three blades shattered. Kazue and Kenichi turned, terror in their eyes as Kenzou was pierced by the cero just under his collar bone. He staggered backward, but was caught by Kazue, who fell with him.

Aizen, however, had hefted the Ward of the Spirit King, which had returned to him as a normal shield. The cero struck with the force of a typhoon, and he was sent rocketing backward, crashing clear through the obelisk and flying across the plaza. With an earth rumbling _BOOM_ , he struck the rocky base of Sogyoku hill, and was lost in a cloud of dust.

Kazue cradled Kenzou's head, holding him up as blood gushed from the hole in his chest.

"Hang in there," Kazue growled, his voice shaky. He pressed a hand to Kenzou's wound, and the man coughed hard, blood rising with the bile in his throat.

A shadow fell over Lord Kamisaigaiku's guards, and the shallow, warbling breaths behind them chilled them to their core, and made each of them freeze.

"R-Run," Kenzou managed to stammer.

Kazue turned around, only to find the hollow towering over them. Its horrid black and gold eyes seemed fixated upon something none of them could see. It extended a hand towards Kenzou, but Kenichi caught the hollow by his wrist.

Kenzou, however, grasped at Kenichi's arm. If the hollow wanted to kill him, then so be it. It was a small price to pay for the lives of his comrades.

Kenichi let go. The hollow moved closer. He dragged Kenzou out of the way, setting him to the side rather ungraciously before stepping right by the guards. Kazue watched with dismay as the hollow stooped down over Rukia.

* * *

The pain was so overwhelming now that Rukia felt as if she were losing herself to it. Shock had not lasted as long as she had hoped, and though she'd managed to stop much of the bleeding, it was no use. She was running out of time. Death would claim her soon.

She heard shrill cries, and she tried to focus on what was going on around her, but it was too much. She noted that everything got brighter for a minute, and the stage was encased in some strange spirit energy.

Then the energy was gone, as was Aizen. Where he'd gone, however, was beyond her. Perhaps he was fighting Ichigo. Rukia hazily wished Ichigo would hurry it up. She almost laughed thinking about how he'd always ended up saving her. At the rate things were going, she'd owe him her life eight times over.

The sounds of fighting stopped. She heard strangled gasping, and the sound of someone in pain nearby, but it wasn't her. She heard the sounds of a quiet commotion, and then everything became dark. Opening her eyes, Rukia saw a blurry outline, and a pale figure standing before her, but it was too dark for her to see properly.

Almost instinctually, she reached out with her soul and felt the spiritual pressure of this person. She immediately recognized it as Ichigo, but something was wrong. He was so angry, so hateful, and Rukia knew why. It was because he hated her. She had hurt him, and he was going to stand there and watch her die. Terror wrapped its icy hands around her throat as she tried to speak. She swallowed back the tangy metallic taste of blood and reached up to the man before her, clinging onto his shihakusho, as it was the only thing she could see. Everything else was growing darker by the second, and the only thing that seemed tangible was the person in front of her.

"Ichigo…" her voice was high pitched and strung out. Desperation and despair sank their fangs into her. She didn't feel she deserved his kindness, but she needed it more than anything. They had been friends once, but would he truly let her die there? Hands hooked under her arms, and she was pulled into a warm embrace, lifted like a princess from the platform. The anger in Ichigo's soul seemed to lessen, though the hatred was still there. Rukia could feel it when she placed a hand to his chest, but it was ebbing away slowly. She put her arms around his neck and held onto him for dear life.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his bare shoulder. "I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry."

Kazue, Kenzou, and Kenichi stared in awe at the hollow, which had hefted Rukia into its arms. It completely ignored the attendants as it carried the bride-to-be down the stairs and through the pews. The only people brave enough to draw weapons were a few of the captains, most of whom were still pretty badly beat up, save Byakuya.

He alone stood in the direct path of the hollow, barring its way. The Captain of Squad Six pointed his sword at the monster, who growled in his throat.

"You will not take Rukia," Byakuya told him.

The hollow took a step to the right. Byakuya shifted to block the path. The hollow stepped to the left, and the captain interceded once more.

 ** _"Move."_** Ichigo hissed.

"That will never happen."

The hollow shifted Rukia so that she was carried in only one arm, leaving him free to use his sword. With even steps, the hollow continued his advance, heading straight for Byakuya.

Each step seemed to ring with a fatal finality. Byakuya lifted his sword, preparing to strike down the hollow as it strode past him, and then-

Whoosh!

The sound of air collapsing inward on itself was heard. Most hadn't even seen the hollow move, let alone swing his sword. Then, a blade came spinning down from the sky.

Byakuya Kuchiki's zanpakuto had been severed at the hilt, and the blade impaled itself in the stones next to the captain. The hollow glared at the man from over his shoulder before taking a few more steps. No one else moved to stop him. Then, the image of the beast flickered, and he was gone, leaving no trace of his existence except for the devastation in his wake, and the blade of Senbonzakura, which vibrated where it stood in the cobblestone street.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Ichigo has the high ground.**_

 _ **Vasto Lorde.**_

 _ **Git gud Aizen, Byakuya, and everyone else**_

 _ **Consider this my attempt at earning the forgiveness of the people who actually read this story. It's a shorter chapter, but action scenes are a bit more cut and dry in the grammar department. If there are spelling errors, I'll go over them later. For now, I wanted to shed some light on this chapter.**_

 _ **For starters, I was planning on trying to come up with a second level Ressureccion form for the Vasto Lorde, (like what Ulqiorra had) but I didn't want to deal with trying to come up with more bullshit explanations for Ichigo's powers. He is crazy OP in this fic as it is. I could probably write "Ichigo snapped his fingers, rocks fell, and Aizen is kaput." and people would just nod and be like... ok? Oh, and did I mention that Ichigo has the high ground? Obi Wan would be proud. And Karin has a crush on Byakuya. Bless her heart. As I've stated before this fic is getting out of hand. I was planning on bringing back a couple captains, and now I'm not sure the idea I had for the next chapter is going to work, but we'll see, I guess. I could've sworn I had more easter eggs to share, but I'm at a loss. And for those wondering, Apagon is loosely translated spanish for Blackout. I thought it was cool, and all the other Espada had cool cero abilities. Anyway, how was that for a rescue? If it wasn't cliche enough for you, please file a complaint with the HR department. Here's some tunes to jam to.**_

 _ ***MUSIC***_

 _ **Shadow of the Guillotine-Vinne Paz**_

 _ **Aerials-System of a Down**_

 _ **Stiff Arm-Jericho (Ichigo yeeted on literally everyone lol)**_

 _ **Crucified-Shim**_

 _ **Blackout-Josh A. & Jake Hill**_

 _ **King of the Dead-XXXTentacion (its in every other goddamned amv)**_

 _ **Johnny's Rebellion-Crown the Empire**_

 _ **And now, for something entirely different...**_

 _ **Where'd You Go-Fort Minor (something softer to make you feel things, also what I imagine playing as Ichigo carries Rukia away from the wedding)**_

 _ **I'm signing off. Thanks for reading. Sorry if any songs are reposted from previous chapters.**_


	17. A Moments Respite and Surprise Matrimony

Try though he might, Ichigo could not escape the grip of the darkness that engulfed him. Far from being locked in a room, this oppressive night felt impenetrable. No matter how far he went in any direction, he could not leave the unending blackness. No matter how much willpower he summoned, nothing seemed to break through the thick layer of darkness that had fallen over his inner world. He was trapped there, unable to see the hand he waved in front of his face. All he knew was that his hollow had taken over, and if the incessant rumbling was anything to go by, the hollow was probably wreaking devastation on a crowd of innocent people.

He tried to think about Rukia's face, and remember the stern frown she wore, but this time, it just didn't seem to be enough, and his hopelessness gave way to despair.

* * *

The hollow appeared amidst an empty street, and Rukia shuddered in his grip. With each sonido, her wound threatened to envelop her consciousness, as each sudden jolt of movement made the pain spike jarringly. No matter how tightly she clung to the hollow, it did not help. The pain was too much. Sooner or later, it would completely sap her strength, and she would no longer be able to resist the urge to rest her eyes.

She gazed blearily up into the pale face of her savior. It didn't really look like Ichigo, but his soul was unmistakable, even if there was something strange about it. Narrowing her eyes, she could make out the outline of the figure's face, and she laid a gentle hand upon his cheek. It was cold and hard, like ceramic.

"Ichigo," Rukia's voice was miniscule and hoarse. "Please stop. Please… it hurts. Let's just rest… for a little bit…"

" ** _Hrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhh._** " The warbling, shuddering sigh was Ichigo's only response. He didn't sound so good, and Rukia hoped that he wasn't hurt. Maybe he was just tired. He had always been a man of few words, and being exhausted only ever made him more silent.

But the injured woman's weary plea had made some headway, as the hollow had stopped moving. The mask it wore cracked beneath Rukia's fingers, as if her touch had corroded its integrity, and then it slowly fractured and faded away, leaving Ichigo looking tired and worn out, but much more like himself.

Ichigo had sworn that when he finally managed to break out of the prison of his mind and resume control of his physical body, he would make his priority Rukia's safety. But he when he returned to himself and found her laying in his arms, her eyes shut, and her blood staining his shihakusho, he found that he couldn't walk another step.

Whether it was from the sheer relief of having her in his arms, or just the taxing nature of the hollowfication itself, he wasn't rightly sure. He stumbled to his knees, careful not to drop Rukia as he pressed a hand to her wound in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding. Yoruichi had been right. His bankai was just a crutch. If he was as powerful as everyone believed him to be, he would have learned some healing kido, and Rukia wouldn't be slipping away while he looked on powerlessly.

The injury was deep, and he could feel her soul fading, growing dimmer with each passing second. There was no way he could flash step, and there was nowhere for him to go. All he could do was kneel there, shaken to his very core, staring down at Rukia and wishing he were stronger. But with each passing second, her blood soaked further and further into his clothes and skin, stealing away his hope and leaving him utterly devoid of his senses.

He heard voices nearby, shouting as they closed in.

"-went this way!"

"Fan out!"

"-I think I sense him over there!"

Another voice spoke as well, this one much, much closer.

"Psst! Ichigo! Over here!"

The distraught young man turned around, barely managing to take in his surroundings. He was in a storage district, filled with long, low-slung buildings mainly comprised of warehouses and storage rooms. He stood in the center of a street, and from his right had come the hasty whisper.

A door was there, barely cracked, and though Ichigo felt he'd heard that voice before, he couldn't quite place whom it belonged to. A single eye peered at him from the darkness: light blue, and so bright that it almost appeared to glow.

He didn't exactly have much choice in the matter, so Ichigo dragged himself upright, cradling Rukia to his chest as best he could, and staggering towards the door. It opened to swallow him and Rukia, and he fell forward as his consciousness faded, vaguely aware of the people standing over him in the dim light of the storeroom.

He wasn't out for long, and when he awoke, he immediately realized that Rukia was no longer in his arms. Bolting upright, he searched the room for her, panicking, only to find her lying next to him. Captain Kotetsu, the leader of the Fourth Division, was kneeling next to the noblewoman, her hands covered in healing kido as she massaged the place where Aizen's blade had run her through.

Someone else spoke in a cool, crisp tone; the same person whom had called to him in the street. "It's good to see you, Ichigo. I hear you've been making quite a mess these last few days."

Directly in front of Ichigo, frowning down at him with his arms crossed was a short young man with silvery white hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a captain's haori bearing the insignia of the Tenth Division, and carried his zanpakuto on his back via a green sash with a bronze pin.

"Nice to see you, too, Toshiro." Ichigo said quietly.

"That eyepatch you were wearing managed to keep your spiritual pressure hidden from your pursuers, but I'm afraid you're low on power at the moment. If we hadn't removed it, you may very well have wasted away." The way Toshiro spoke was as dangerous as the captain himself, and his words were like a double edged sword. While he may not have looked like much at first glance, he was one of the most powerful captains of the Gotei 13, and would only grow stronger as he matured, which he had in the year that Ichigo hadn't seen him.

But the meaning of Toshiro's words was quite clear. Ichigo was in no condition to try and fight back, or run away, and Toshiro probably wouldn't let him go unscathed unless he started explaining things in a timely manner.

As if to confirm this, Toshiro drew himself upright, as tall as he could, and told Ichigo, "You gave me the benefit of the doubt once when the Ouin was stolen. You allowed me to regain my honor. I would be remiss in my duties as a captain, and a friend, if I did not extend you the same courtesy. Tell me what's been going on."

Ichigo shivered. Adrenaline was still coursing through him, and he worried for his friends, and for Rukia. He could still hear muffled cries from shinigami trying to find him.

"Are we safe here?" asked Ichigo.

Toshiro nodded. "These walls will keep you shielded from anyone searching for you. This warehouse serves as a secret meeting place for the CCC, so we won't be discovered."

"And Rukia? Will she be ok?" Ichigo directed his question to Captain Isane.

The tall woman looked sort of tired, and the lines under her eyes were unusually pronounced, but from what Ichigo could see, no more blood was seeping from Rukia's wound, and she seemed to be regaining her lost color. If nothing else, she no longer had the pallor of a dead woman.

"The wound is severe, and I'm not as skilled as Captain Unohana was, but I think Rukia will be ok. She's lost a lot of blood, but she'll live."

The substitute soul reaper nodded slowly before turning to face Toshiro once more.

"What about Yoruichi, Chad, and Karin?"

The short captain looked Ichigo up and down, as if reevaluating him. His crossed arms fell to his sides, and his tense shoulders relaxed somewhat. He was still ready to draw his sword and slash Ichigo to ribbons, but he looked less inclined to do so.

"Another of the CCC's members went to go find them. He'll bring them back here, and they can corroborate your story, as can Rukia." Toshiro's words faltered as Ichigo's face fell. He cleared his throat and hastily added, "Erm- that is… _after_ she gets better, I mean."

Ichigo let out a sigh. It wasn't Toshiro's fault Rukia was hurt, and getting angry would not help the situation. His hollow had only just dispersed, and he had no desire to unleash it again. Especially not after he'd run into the first group of shinigami who weren't keenly intent upon locking him up, or killing him outright. "Alright. So, Toshiro, before I answer your questions, I have one more for you. What is the CCC? And why is there a group of captains meeting in secret? It seems a little shady to me."

Captain Kotetsu was the one who answered. "The CCC, or Concerned Captains' Coalition, is a group comprised of myself, and Captains Toshiro Hitsugaya, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and Shinji Hirako. We formed the coalition because we felt there was something going on behind the scenes, and we wanted to create a dedicated task force so that when the time comes-"

"-we can act accordingly." Hitsugaya finished.

"Ok, but… well, who's the enemy?" Ichigo asked. "I mean, why are you all banding together? There's gotta be something more to it than that. I was under the impression the captains and their squads were pretty much independent, save when the Seireitei was threatened."

Toshiro and Isane shared a troubled glance before the short captain sighed heavily and said, "We formed the coalition shortly after the arrival of the Kamisaigaiku clan. As of yet, they seem harmless enough, but we are not entirely convinced of their loyalty to the Soul Society, as they claim to only serve the Spirit King. We do not know their purpose here, or what it is they were trying to do before the marriage was proposed. All we know is that their information is closely guarded, and even we captains are powerless to act against them openly."

"So you're preparing to go to war with a noble clan?" the substitute soul reaper guessed, sounding a tad skeptical.

A door leading further into the warehouse slid open behind Ichigo, startling him as he turned to find himself facing a killer clown straight out of his nightmares. Wait, no, that was no killer clown.

"We do not seek to make war," Mayuri Kurotsuchi sneered, sliding the door shut behind him and sitting on a box next to where Ichigo lay on the floor. "We only seek to protect the Soul Society. 'Friends close and enemies closer.' All that jazz."

The mad scientist, and Captain of the Twelfth Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, had always been an odd ball. Now, however, he seemed even more unhinged than he'd been before. He wore his usual strange attire that made him look like some sort of Egyptian pharaoh of old, but now, over his shihakusho and haori, the man wore a voluptuous pair of false silicon breasts. A baby sat in the crook of his arm, holding eerily still, as if it were not even alive. Ichigo's first thought was ' _Who the hell would entrust their child to this lunatic?_ ' And his second thought was-

"W-What the hell are those things on your chest?!" exclaimed Ichigo, leaning away from the man and averting his eyes.

On the floor, Rukia moaned piteously, as if she could sense that someone with large breasts was nearby. The Captain of the Twelfth Division rolled his eyes and bared his teeth, saying, "My eyes are up here, you perverted nimrod! Can't a man nurse his daughter without weirdos staring? Don't be such a prude!"

With that, Mayuri offered a false breast to the child, who suddenly came to life and partook. Toshiro's expression was difficult to read, but his entire body had gone stiff, and one of his eyelids twitched imperceptibly. If Ichigo had to guess, Toshiro found this behavior just as off putting as he did. Only Isane didn't really seem to mind, but she was so busy healing Rukia that it may have just escaped her notice.

"I apologize for snapping," Mayuri said abruptly, sounding rather browbeaten, "I've been awake for a week and a half. Nemuri is in a very delicate place, and requires all of my attention and focus. This is the first day I've been able to leave my laboratory, you know."

He slumped on his box, and Ichigo felt like he'd seen that posture somewhere. With a start, he realized his dad had worn that same put upon expression after Masaki had died, and Isshin was left to raise three children by himself. It was the look of a single parent stretched a bit too thin.

"We're all very glad to have you back with the Coalition," Toshiro muttered unenthusiastically.

"And I am glad to be back!" Mayuri said, his teeth bared in an insane smile. "Goodness knows I get rather ornery, cooped up by myself. I miss the freedom of being without a child! Oh, but in a few years I suppose I will be missing these days. They're always so sweet and cuddly when they can't talk back."

He looked down into the face of the pudgy baby in his arms, as if it were a complex formula he was trying to solve. Ichigo and Toshiro shared a look, like, ' _What the fuck is wrong with this guy?_ '

The door opened, and another old friend stalked into the storeroom, accompanied by three hooded and cloaked figures.

The man in the lead was slender, with poor posture, long blonde hair that was unnaturally straight, and heavily lidded eyes. This was none other than Shinji Hirako. And the three people who'd entered behind him were-

"Yoruichi! Chad! Karin! You're all ok!"

Ichigo tried to get to his feet when Karin rushed forward, and in the next instant he was flat on his back, his sister's foot on his chest. Her eyes were wide, and a menagerie of emotions flickered across her face. In a millisecond, she went from fear, to anger, to relief. Finally, she settled on the last one, and she knelt by her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I thought- I thought you were…"

Ichigo wrapped his sister in a one armed hug, grateful that Karin was ok.

"I'm fine, Karin," murmured Ichigo. "It'll take more than a few captains to kill me." Toshiro pouted at Ichigo's words, a vein in his forehead throbbing.

"But what about the hollow?" Karin inquired. "What happened after it took over?"

Ichigo explained what had happened to the room at large, pulling from the scattered pieces of memory he could manage to uncover. What he'd forgotten, Mayuri Kurotsuchi managed to fill in, thanks to the thousands of security feeds his squad had hidden around the Soul Society. He'd gotten every gritty detail on camera, and seen everything that had happened during the wedding ceremony.

"And after destroying the Squad Six Captain's zanpakuto, the hollow left, taking the bride to be with him, and I dispatched Hirako to head off Kurosaki's accomplices, as Nemuri was eating. It was all very thrilling, if a bit cliché," Kurotsuchi said carelessly.

Toshiro was pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut. Karin couldn't help but admire the young captain's features. His snow white hair and reserved attitude made him seem wise beyond his years, and in the time since they had last seen each other, he had grown quite a bit. He was taller than Karin now, and his jawline was far more pronounced than she remembered. This, combined with his sharp features and icy gaze made her heart pound painfully in her chest.

' _For a guy with ice powers, he's sooo_ hot _,_ ' she thought dreamily.

She realized she had been staring at him when he met her gaze and raised a single white eyebrow. Karin turned away, whistling nonchalantly. Then she remembered she couldn't whistle, and she cleared her throat.

"So let me get this straight, you came to the Soul Society so that you could stop Rukia from marrying Kamisaigaiku?" Toshiro's tone was as cold and hard as Hyorinmaru's bankai.

Ichigo glared at him. "No, I came here because I knew something was going on, and I was right. Your little group of concerned captains will want to sit down for this..."

As her brother explained the situation to Captains Hitsugaya, HIrako, Kotetsu, and Kurotsuchi, Karin watched Toshiro closely. At the mention of Aizen's involvement, a shadow crossed his face, and his eyes seemed to burn with a cold flame that she'd never seen. His hands were clenched at his sides in fists of rage.

"Aizen," he spoke through gritted teeth. "That _bastard_. Are you sure it was him? Do you have any sort of proof?"

Ichigo turned to look at his sister. "Karin, you saw the man standing at the altar with Rukia, didn't you?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." She shrugged.

"Please describe him for us," Toshiro told her calmly. The sudden change in his mood caught her off guard, and the intensity of his stare made her insides squirm.

"Well, he was… tall. Slender build. Um, I think he had glasses on, and brown hair, parted to the side… and he smiled the whole time." That was one thing she remembered quite clearly. Though she hadn't focused on him too much, she remembered that he hadn't stopped smiling. Even when everyone else was fleeing in terror, that stupid, holier-than-thou smile never waned. "Even after he stabbed Rukia."

"Wait, wait, wait, that's not what I saw at all!" Mayuri interjected. "It was _Kurosaki_ that stabbed Rukia Kuchiki."

"Wha- no he didn't!" Karin said, turning to frown at the captain with unsettling clown make up, a pharaoh's headdress, and large, fake breasts.

"Karin is right," Chad supplied, putting a hand on her shoulder to keep her from flying at Kurotsuchi. "I saw it, too. Aizen stabbed Rukia, and that was what caused Ichigo to hollowfy."

"Obviously, Aizen showed everyone else what he wanted them to see," Yoruichi interceded, her hand on her chin. "He will be absolved of any guilt, and everyone will do their best to find Ichigo and bring him in. Even now, they're probably mobilizing a task force of their best fighters to track him down."

* * *

As it turns out, Yoruichi's hunch was spot on. The quiet stillness of the ceremony fell away as reinforcements poured into the plaza, only to find that the battle was already over, and the perpetrators had vanished. The wounded were treated, and witnesses were interrogated. Meanwhile, Byakuya Kuchiki stared at the blade of Senbonzakura. It had been severed clean from its hilt, and if he listened closely, he could still hear it keening, like a wounded animal in its death throes.

"C-Captain Kuchiki?" Renji asked timidly. "What are your orders, sir?"

"Orders?" Byakuya spoke quietly, like the question puzzled him. It was a moment before he remembered that he was a captain, and had a squad to lead, a murderous traitor to track down, and a sister to find. The haze of disbelief that came from losing his zanpakuto made his thought process slow to a crawl, but he was quickly recovering from his shock. "Assemble every able bodied man and send them to scour the Seireitei. Lock down the Soul Society. I don't want anyone entering or leaving without my knowledge and express permission. Close off the Senkaimon, and fetch the Head Captain. I want my sister found, and I want Ichigo Kurosaki brought before me. Preferably alive, but I'll settle for his head on a platter if he doesn't want to cooperate."

Renji's face drained of color. Byakuya hadn't raised his voice, but he didn't need to. The quiet, seething anger in his tone was enough to send a shiver down Renji's spine. Then, another voice spoke, and everyone in the vicinity turned to stare at the source of it, as he radiated such overwhelming spiritual energy that a few people sank to their knees, unable to bear the brunt of such unrestrained power.

"Well, it looks like I missed the party," Kenpachi Zaraki growled, sounding to be in high spirits. "What happened here? It looks like an entire army of badasses cut through the wedding like a whirlwind… though I only sense a few residual spiritual pressures."

The Captain of Squad Eleven, and arguably the most brutal and fierce combatant the Soul Society had ever known, Kenpachi Zaraki, towered over everyone else in the plaza. He raised his nose to the wind and scented the air, looking more like a wolf on the hunt than a man.

"I smell Kurosaki… looks like he's even gotten stronger. Whaddya think, Yachiru? Should I fight him now that he's ripe?"

From over his shoulder, a small, pink haired girl appeared. She also seemed to be in an excellent mood. "Yeah! You should fight Ichi, and smash him to pieces! That'd be fun!"

"Welcome back, Captain Kenpachi," Byakuya said, not looking particularly affected by the man's overpowering presence, "and you've brought someone else with you. Who's your friend?"

No one else had taken notice of the cloaked man behind Kenpachi. The man stepped forward, and pulled away his hood to reveal long brown hair, a high forehead, and pronounced cheekbones. It was a face very few shinigami had ever seen, but those who had seen him before recognized him at once.

"Coyote Starrk." Renji growled, lifting his sword.

"Relax there, Lieutenant Abarai," Kenpachi grumbled, throwing an arm around Starrk's shoulders, "this is one guy you don't wanna mess with. And he's here as my guest, so if want to fight him, you gotta fight me, first."

The Captain grinned wickedly, showing off his overlong canines, and his eyes flashed golden as he let a little of his reiatsu seep through to the surface. Renji backpedaled, and Yachiru giggled at the sight.

"He's scared of you, Kenny!" she laughed.

"He should be." The captain turned to leave.

Byakuya called out to him, "Hold just a moment, Kenpachi Zaraki."

The man froze mid step and looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, what? You gonna tell me I should report for duty? I'm technically not finished with my vacation."

"Are you going after Kurosaki?"

The two captains locked eyes. "That should be obvious. You gotta problem with that?"

The nobleman shook his head. The hilt of his broken sword seemed extraordinarily heavy in his hand. "If you find him, I want you to make him suffer before he dies. And bring back my little sister."

"I can't make any promises," said Kenpachi, baring his teeth in a savage smile, "but I'll keep an eye out for the Kuchiki girl. Is that good enough?"

"It'll have to do. I'll let the Head Captain know you've returned."

And with that, Byakuya wrenched the blade of Senbonzakura from the ground and cradled it in his arm like a child before turning away and leaving everyone to their duties. Renji trailed after him, casting glares at the back of the Captain of Squad Eleven, who was wandering off in the opposite direction.

"Captain Zaraki! You've returned!" Ikkaku Madarame and rest of the Eleventh Division members rushed over to meet their captain. They all paused when they saw his companions. "You managed to find Lieutenant Yachiru! But who is…"

He broke off, and before anyone else could act, he had activated his shikai. "Captain, what is the meaning of this? Why have you brought an Espada into the Seireitei?!"

No answer. Kenpachi ignored this and elbowed through his subordinates, the Arrancar trailing along in his wake. Ikkaku's eye twitched, and a low growl emanated from his throat as he hefted his spear and charged the Espada. An instant before Ikkaku was about to run his through, a shadow fell over them, and his spear was stopped. For a moment, he was blinded, as a sun seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. Then he realized it wasn't a sun. It was Zaraki, who's golden aura had sprang to life as his rage became untethered. The tip of Ikkaku's zanpakuto was pressed against his captain's skin, but somehow, it did not manage to draw blood. He hadn't held back, that blow would've killed any lesser man.

"I thought I'd made it quite clear to Kuchiki, but I guess you weren't paying attention," announced Kenpachi, "so let me set things straight for everyone! Coyote Starrk is not an enemy. If you want to attack him, you may only do so after defeating me in combat. This is the last warning I will give you, or anyone else foolish enough to strike at him. DO I MAKE MYSELF UNDERSTOOD?!"

Kenpachi drove his foot into Ikkaku's chest, and the force of his kick sent the man tumbling backward until he hit the ground hard, his reiatsu having been overloaded just by being in contact with the captain.

"U-understood, Captain Zaraki, sir." Ikkaku muttered as he pushed himself onto his knees and prostrated himself before his superior.

"Hmph. It's good to know that I'm still in charge… good work keeping everyone in line while I was gone," Zaraki grumbled. "Gather as many men as you can and try to keep up. We're on the hunt for traitors, but Ichigo is mine. I don't think I could have picked a better day to come back from my vacation."

* * *

The only things that seemed real to Rukia were her vivid nightmares, and while they frightened her to no end, they did, at least, manage to block out some of the incredible pain that sent tendrils of fiery hurt spiraling throughout her entire body.

They all seemed to radiate from her center, from a very deep wound in her midsection. As horrible as her dreams had been, this pain was so much worse. It blocked out the sounds of talking, and brought her back to the horrible reality of her situation. First, she remembered who she was, then she remembered why she was in such pain. She remembered Aizen standing behind her, his sword sliding through her as easily as a knife slicing through wedding cake, and his eyes piercing through her very soul.

That's right, she had been about to _marry_ Aizen. Someone had stopped her from going through with it. But who?

Before she could place a name, his face appeared. He was strong, confident. Not at all the boy she had once saved from certain doom. He had brightly colored orange hair, and he wore an eyepatch. His reiatsu was the most beautiful shade of blue, and it flickered like dancing azure flames.

Ichigo. That was his name. She remembered this man, and every terrible thing they'd lived through together. Yes, that's right. At the end of the day, it always seemed to be the two of them versus the world. And with Ichigo at her side, they were always assured victory. They were unstoppable. She remembered having kissed him, but the more she tried to hold onto that memory, the harder it was to maintain.

Pain flared in her midsection. Rukia's eyes snapped open, and she awoke from her semi-lucid state with a strangled cry. She immediately noticed that she was in a dark room, surrounded by people she didn't recognize. When she tried to sit up, white hot flashes of intense agony shot through her, and she fell backwards.

Her head hit the floor as colored spots danced before her eyes. She kicked her feet and clenched her fists. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to think. Just to lay there like an invalid caused her so much pain that tears came to her eyes. It was like someone was driving a searing hot rod through her stomach and twisting it.

But, thankfully, she was alive. The pain was proof enough of that, though at the moment, she wasn't sure death was such a terrible option. If it would spare her this torment, it would probably be worth it.

"Rukia!" Someone was immediately at her side.

She blinked to try and clear her eyes, and found herself face to face with Ichigo. He looked worried, and more than a little shaken. He'd taken off his eye patch, and his eyes were as soft and brown as she remembered. They were warm, too, like a freshly plowed field in spring. Rukia wished she could fall into his eyes, and forget the pain in her gut, and the guilt in her heart.

"Ichigo." She said weakly. Her hand found his, and he squeezed her fingers. His hands were shaking, but relief was prominent on his face. He struggled to find the right words to say. How was he supposed to tell her how glad he was that she was alive? How could he convey how much she meant to him? In the end, he decided to just be honest.

"You look terrible," he observed. "But I'm glad you're ok."

"You don't look much better. You damned fool," she muttered, the merest hint of a smirk tugging at her lips. It quickly gave way to a grimace as another wave of fiery agony swept through her.

"You shouldn't have sat up so suddenly," Kotetsu interrupted. "I haven't completely healed the trauma, and I'm guessing you just worsened what little internal damage I managed to repair. Lay still, and try to rest. You're safe here."

"But Aizen-" Rukia broke off. Something was seriously wrong with the situation, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Sosuke Aizen was free, which was a calamity all its own, but there was something else. She had the distinct feeling it had something to do with Ichigo, but that made no sense. Ichigo hadn't done anything wrong. He'd just saved her life! So then, why was anxiety making her pulse race?

She looked into Ichigo's face, and noted there was something besides worry there. It was guilt. Rukia recognized it immediately, as she had witnessed it firsthand in the mirror after she'd been forced to kill Kaien Shiba while he was possessed by Metastacia. The look Ichigo wore now told her that he blamed himself for her condition.

"Isane…. No, Captain Kotetsu, I'd like you to teach me some healing kido so I can help heal Rukia," Ichigo said. "Please. This is my fault. I should be the one to take care of it."

His determination made his eyes hard to meet. Isane stared at him for a full second before gulping past the lump in her throat and nodding. "Do you have any experience with kido?"

Ichigo averted his gaze to the floorboards. "Not really. In fact, I don't think I've ever used it. I always assumed I was strong enough to handle everything an enemy could throw at me. I guess I figured no one would ever get hurt if I tried my best and fought as hard as I could. I see now that I was stupid for thinking that. I need to take responsibility for my shortcomings."

The statement hung in the air like a sword. Nobody challenged Ichigo's words. The self-loathing, and the bitter realization that he couldn't protect everyone was apparent in his voice. Yoruichi felt herself itch all over. It was lesson she'd learned before, and it was a lesson that was never learned easily.

Karin knelt next to her brother. "I have a little experience, so I can help him with the basics. I know he can be a little dense, but my brother is actually a quick learner."

As it just so happened, Ichigo was an excellent healer. His expression of grim fortitude softened when he focused his energy and managed to manifest the kido within minutes. Isane was reminded of something her old captain, Unohana, had told her a long time ago, back when Isane had first joined Division Four.

 _"Some of the greatest healers I've ever known were warriors without peer,"_ Unohana had said _, "they know exactly how it feels to be harmed in battle. They know what lies behind every wound and injury, because they have wielded the blades that caused those wounds, and had them inflicted upon them. Never let someone tell you those goons in Squad Eleven are stronger than us. They are certainly more foolhardy, and their fighting spirit is commendable, but without us they could not fight without worry. Who else will patch up those dunderheads when they are injured? And when they are all laid low, and the enemy is on the threshold of our infirmary, who will the injured count upon to protect them? We are the first and last line of defense. Never forget that."_

Years later, Unohana's words still swayed Isane. They filled her gut with molten ferocity, and made her want to raise her sword over her head and howl a battle cry. But, given present company, that would hardly be appropriate.

"What's up, Captain Kotetsu?" Ichigo wondered. "Do I have something on my face?"

Isane's ears turned the color of tomatoes. She had been staring at Kurosaki, and hadn't even noticed it!

"Uh, no, not quite. I was just thinking about something my captain told me, that's all. Your skill with healing kido is incredible. You're a natural healer!"

The substitute soul reaper didn't look pleased by the compliment. He scowled down at Rukia, who had slipped out of consciousness once more. Isane knew that he must be thinking, ' _If I were_ really _good at this, Rukia would be awake by now._ '

"Thanks," Ichigo sighed dejectedly.

"Quit being such a baby, Ichigo," Karin chided. "Rukia will be fine, and look! You're already doing better than me at this healing kido!"

"It's probably just because I have a larger reiryoku than you," he said, sounding rather unconvinced.

"Don't patronize me, you ass!"

"Here we go again! I'm not patronizing you, I'm just pointing out the facts! Once you grow more powerful, you'll be able to heal way better than I can!"

Isane cleared her throat, and the siblings turned their bitter expressions towards her.

"You're both doing very well, actually," she smiled. "Most of my division can't cast such a simple spell with this kind of effectiveness. You've got at least half of them beat!"

Ichigo and Karin blushed. Such genuine kindness was not doled out by most teachers. Isane knew as much, but it was the truth. These two people were incredibly powerful, and yet they didn't even seem to care. A technique that took others months to get a handle on only took them minutes. Somehow, they seemed to be in a league all their own. Their confidence and skill took the captain by surprise, and made her remember just how ineffectual she felt as a captain. Not that Isane was a bad captain, but she definitely didn't feel like a good one. It felt like something that had been foisted onto her shoulders, like ' _Sorry your mentor died, here's a consolation prize._ '

Every time she thought about her new position, she wondered if she was fit to be captain. She constantly worried she wasn't good enough, or that she had messed up, or forgotten something. She was a high class healer, and a solid combatant, but did she really have what it took to lead a squad? She wasn't powerful like Kenpachi Zaraki, or a genius like Mayuri Kurotsuchi. She wasn't petite and fast, like Soifon, nor was she as noble of bearing as Byakuya Kuchiki. Was she really fit to be captain? If push came to shove, could she truly be counted upon to lead her division to victory, like Unohana had during Aizen's insurrection, or during the Sternritter Invasion? She wasn't sure, and seeing Ichigo and Karin, both of whom were incredibly naturally talented, grasp a technique that took her months to perfect in a few short minutes, only served to deepen her doubts about herself.

Time ticked by, and the night wore on in a tense stillness. All of the captains remained present, even Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Nemuri occasionally coughed or made quiet sounds, but aside from that, she did not disturb the peace. Toshiro Hitsugaya closed his eyes, and crossed his arms, entering an almost meditative state. Waves of cold air swirled around him as his thoughts drifted. With little else to do, he could at least use the opportunity to collect himself, and figure out his next move. Unfortunately, his anger made it difficult for him to concentrate. Aizen's smug grin kept popping into his head, as did painful recollections of Momo's face just after he'd accidentally stabbed her. The look of shock and horror that had twisted her soft features always tore away at him, like a feral creature slashing away at his gut.

Rukia's eyes flicked open. Her wound was completely closed, and with three people working in unison, the healing was going much better. The noblewoman's snow-white reiatsu appeared around her body, sending out waves of cold that erupted in ice crystals creeping along the floorboards. The temperature dropped substantially, chilling the warehouse until it was as cold as a freezer. Rukia clawed at her stomach, but Isane grabbed her hands and held them to her sides to keep her from causing any more damage.

Mayuri shivered, pulling the blankets around the baby in his arms tighter before frowning as the woman on the floor. "Do you mind? The last thing I need is for Nemuri to catch a cold!"

With a sharp inhalation of breath, Rukia sat upright, this time almost completely unaffected by her injury, save a light ache. Ichigo felt as though his entire world shifted in the moment she sat up, as if it were out of balance, and Rukia's recovery suddenly made everything alright. The weight on his chest was lifted, and a smile lit up his face. He crawled forward, extending an arm to hug Rukia, when she suddenly drove her elbow into the top of his head.

"ICHIGO, YOU GODDAMNED IDIOT!" she hollered, red in the face and absolutely fuming.

Ichigo's face hit the floor, and he pushed himself up, all signs of his former happiness gone as he pinched his nose, which had begun to bleed profusely.

"What the HELL?!" he shouted. "What was THAT for?!"

"Don't tell me you don't know what you did!" said Rukia loudly, "you planned this all along, didn't you?!"

Ichigo was at a loss for words. Rukia was angry- perhaps more so than she had ever been in her life. She shook with repressed rage. Her mouth was pinched into a tight line, and her eyebrows her scrunched up. Her eyes were positively boiling with fury.

"Ok, back up," Ichigo's voice was throaty and nasal, "What part of what I did has got you angry? Was it the part where I… I don't know… saved your freaking life?!"

Ichigo could taste blood in his mouth, and all the nervous anxiety that had left him moments ago returned with a gut wrenching tug. How was it that things always went from bad to worse?!

"You fool! You know exactly what I'm talking about! Don't lie to me, Ichigo!"

"You ingrate! I just saved your life, how in the hell are you so mad at me?! At least tell me what I did wrong!"

Rukia looked like she wanted to make Ichigo faceplant again, but she held her midsection and winced. All the outrage was gone from Ichigo's body in an instant, and he crawled over to Rukia, putting a hand to her belly and focusing his energy on healing her some more.

"Perverted fool," Rukia seethed, allowing herself to be laid back down.

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched, and a vein protruded in his cheek, but he swallowed his anger. "Tell me what the big deal is, or shut the hell up. Your yelling isn't helping, and technically I'm still a fugitive, remember? We should try to be inconspicuous."

Rukia covered her eyes. Something about Ichigo's touch was soothing in a way that had nothing to do with his healing abilities.

"I think I can explain why she's so upset," Yoruichi supplied. The cat-like grin on her face told Ichigo he wasn't going to like what she was about to say. She plunked down across from him, holding out her own hands over Rukia's wound and assisting with healing kido of her own before continuing.

"The reason Rukia is upset is because of a very ancient law that has to do with arranged marriages," the dark skinned woman said. "Because you objected to the marriage, stated _your own_ nobility for all to hear, and defeated everyone that stepped forward to defend the union, you and she are now legally married! Congratulations, Ichigo! You got the girl!"

The feelings that fought within Ichigo's chest were like lions in a colosseum, tearing at each other and clawing for dominance. On one hand, he was angry, because Rukia would think he had done it on purpose, when in reality, he'd just done what Yoruichi had told him to do. On the other hand, he couldn't stop shivering with nervous excitement. As a result, the lions within him were at odds, and he was left in the middle, trying to ignore the sensation of the world falling out from beneath him.

Yoruichi triumphant smile was replaced with a contemplative expression, and she tilted her head curiously.

"We have company," she stated darkly.

The sound of someone shouting and laughing could be heard. All of the captains in the room went white in the face and vanished, flash stepping away as cracks began to appear along the ceiling. Heavy breathing could be heard as someone incredibly strong ripped the roof right off of the storage building, and the light of the sun flooded into the room. Only, it was late at night, and the sun had long since sunken behind the horizon.

And suddenly, Ichigo realized that it wasn't the sun that was filling the room with light. It was someone with a blinding golden aura of spirit energy.

"Found ya, Ichigo!" Kenpachi shouted, triumph in every fiber of his being as he tossed the roof behind him and brandished his zanpakuto.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Guess who's back, back again? Kenpachi's back, tell a friend.**_

 _ **Oh, and Ichigo and Rukia are married. That's cool too. As I'm hoping you'll notice, I tried to incorporate a little humor in this chapter, bring back a few old favorites, and generally work on my phrasing. I think I'm seeing some improvement. Maybe it's because I took a goddamned month to write and edit this stupid chapter. Nothing even happens, it's like a filler episode. Well, except that I just brought in a bunch of characters. And advanced the plot. Karin has a thing for Hitsugaya, now. Oh, and that reference to the Ouin is from one of the Bleach movies, which I happened to watch. I believe its the Diamonddust Rebellion, which was actually pretty cool. After finishing the series, going back to that old school stuff is nostalgic. I've also been working on other projects, as working on one thing for too long gets stale.**_

 _ **On the bright side, I've already got a good start on the next chapter. Now I just have to find the time to write. Oh, and Yoruichi is now the worlds biggest IchiRuki fan. She knew what the fuck she was doing. She told Ichigo what to say. She did this on purpose. Spirit King bless that cat lady.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading. Here's some music I've been listening too.**_

 _ **Eater Of Worlds-Everyone Loves A Villain (this one is perfect for Ichigo's hollow)**_

 _ **SAD! and Lil Uzi Vert XO Tour Life (Kid Travis Cover)**_

 _ **Fell Too Far-Nick Bonin**_

 _ **You're My Everything-Sadeyes**_

 _ **All In-Vito**_

 _ **More Than A Feeling-Boston**_

 _ **See you guys in the next chapter.**_


	18. An Interrupted Duel! New Allies?

_'Go figure,'_ Ichigo thought wryly. He'd barely managed to save the woman he loved (who was now technically his wife) from death after exhausting his spirit energy. And now he was facing off against Kenpachi Zaraki, and a mysterious figure he didn't recognize. If the Spirit King could see how things were playing out, he was undoubtedly having a hearty laugh at Ichigo's expense.

The Eleventh Division Captain alone would've been enough to seal Ichigo's doom. After healing Rukia, fighting such a powerful opponent was suicide, but now Zaraki had brought a friend. The hooded man was even more powerful than a captain, but his spiritual pressure was completely unfamiliar. It was so alien that Ichigo was quite sure that whoever was beneath that cloak wasn't even human, though he couldn't tell by looking.

"Been looking for you, Kurosaki," Kenpachi said, settling down on his haunches and fixing Ichigo with one hard eye. "Heard you're a traitor now, so I thought I'd find you first and have some fun with you. You're a hard man to track, though. I guess it takes a hollow to find a hollow, eh?"

"A hollow?" asked Ichigo.

The hooded figure cast off his cloak, and suddenly Ichigo knew why this person did not feel like any shinigami he'd ever met.

He had a pale, gaunt face with high cheek bones and long brown hair that spilled onto his shoulders. His tattered clothes were travel stained, but they had once been pristine and white- the uniform of an arrancar. On the back of his left hand was a large black tattoo of the number '1'.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," he uttered thoughtfully, "I've heard a lot about you. Aizen used to talk about you quite a bit. My name is Coyote Starrk, formerly of the Espada."

"Espada, huh?" Ichigo crossed his arms. "I thought they all died during the battle of Fake Karakura Town."

"Afraid not."

A small, pink haired girl poked up from over Kenpachi's shoulder. "What's taking so long, Kenny? I don't hear any screaming."

"We haven't started fighting yet." Zaraki rolled his eyes. "You're gonna have to take a back seat for this, Yachiru. I expect one hell of a fight from Ichigo."

"Got it!" She kicked off of the captain's shoulder and gracefully pirouetted through the air before landing on the roof of the building next door, where she sat cross legged and pulled out a bag of candy, as if she were setting up to watch a show.

Ichigo hefted Zangetsu over his shoulder, meeting Kenpachi's hungry gaze without fail. It was hard to think only a year had gone by, but in that year, the Eleventh Division Captain's demeanor had changed. He seemed a bit calmer now, though his mad bloodlust was still definitely there. It just seemed a bit more contained. His spirit energy, on the other hand, was so intense that it felt as if Ichigo had invisible pillows pressed all over his body. He was no stranger to being around captains and other powerful spiritual entities, but Zaraki was almost like Aizen: he had a class all his own.

"Yoruichi," Ichigo called over his shoulder, "take Chad, Karin, and Rukia, get them to- GAH!" He broke off when a white slip on shoe flew through the air and bounced off the back of his head. He managed to catch it, and held the shoe at eye level to glare at it. "What the hell?!"

"Guess again, Idiot." Rukia was on her feet, one of which was bare, as she'd thrown one of her expensive heels at Ichigo.

"What was that for?! How are you still mad at me?!"

"It's easy to be mad at someone so foolish," she snapped at him. "If you think I'm going to run and hide while my new husband fights, you're more of a jackass than Renji!"

The substitute shinigami wanted to be furious at being compared to Renji, but he couldn't. He had stopped listening after hearing Rukia refer to him as her husband. It almost felt unreal. He had to stop himself from looking around for someone in a tuxedo with a cheesy, bashful grin, because he sure as hell didn't feel like he'd gotten married. The thought put a warm, pleasant sensation in his stomach.

The long, slow, steady rasp of a sword being drawn was loud in the air. Kenpachi fingered the chipped blade of his weapon delicately, as if it could break with the lightest touch. "Geez, you've only been married for a few hours and you're already arguing? Seems like you've got more problems than I do. Oh, and before I forget, Byakuya Kuchiki wants you dead," he pointed his blade at Ichigo, "and he wants your girlfriend-"

"I'm his wife," Rukia corrected him.

"-whatever you are, brought back alive… or did I get those mixed up?"

Kenpachi turned to his accomplices. Yachiru pursed her lips and shrugged, looking just as confused. Coyote Starrk, however, was more composed. "The man he wants alive or dead. The woman is to be brought back in one piece."

"Riiiight." Kenpachi turned back to Ichigo, his eyes glowing golden as his reiatsu burst to life.

Of all the captains Ichigo had met, Kenpachi was easily one of the most terrifying. Sure they were all dangerous and deadly in their own ways, but the Captain of Squad Eleven was not only a bloodthirsty, ruthless killer, he was so similar to Ichigo it was scary. Neither of them were fond of authority. They were both novices who made up for training and discipline with raw talent and overwhelming spiritual power. When Ichigo looked at Kanpachi Zaraki, he did not just see a man, or a monster, he saw what he himself could become someday: a violent murderer so obsessed with his own abilities that nothing else mattered, save the thrill of battle; a man whose raw power was so unrefined and uncontrollable that he would end up wearing an eyepatch and picking fights with people for fun. The thought that they were so different, and yet had so many similarities, made Ichigo's skin crawl.

Then he remembered Rukia was standing right next to him, and all of that tension melted away. He had one thing Kenpachi would never have. His ability to love and form meaningful relationships with those he cared about would keep him in check. His friends and family would never let him fall so far as to turn out like Kenpachi Zaraki.

"I'll take Karin and Chad back to training facility," Yoruichi said, "I'll be back for you and Rukia as quickly as possible!"

Karin wanted to fight back and resist being dragged off once again, but she took one look at Kenpachi's face and realized that retreating to the Shihouin Training Facility didn't sounds so bad after all.

"Hang in there, bro!" Karin called shrilly.

Then, in a blur of sound and color, Yoruichi, Chad, and Karin vanished.

"Consider that my good deed for the day," Kenpachi scratched at his stubbly chin, "I let your friends go, and now I get to obliterate you. Fair is fair."

"Gee, thanks." Ichigo grumbled to himself. "You're too kind."

Rukia put a hand on Ichigo's arm, and he about jumped out of his skin. Adrenaline was making him shiver, and Rukia's touch was like lightning.

"I'll fall back and support you with kido," she whispered. "You go into bankai and try to hold him off."

"Just one problem," Ichigo said under his breath, "I'm not sure I have enough power to activate bankai. My spirit energy is really low and-"

Rukia sighed heavily through her nose before putting a hand on the back of Ichigo's neck and bending it forward. She stood on her tiptoes and rested her forehead against his, forcing him to bend at the knees just so that she could reach. Then, a flood of spirit energy flowed between them. Ichigo felt his reiryoku rejuvenate rapidly as Rukia shared her power with him. His mouth tasted like peppermint, and his chest hurt like he was breathing in arctic air. Goosebumps raised on his arms as her icy spirit energy flowed through him. Ichigo almost forgot that she had been healed in the Soul King's Palace as well, and she'd managed to achieve bankai. Not only that, but Rukia had been idle for some time, playing the obedient trophy wife. She had more than enough power to share, even after being grievously wounded.

She pushed him away gently. "Consider us even."

Her hand stayed on his chest, and Ichigo couldn't resist the urge to flex every muscle beneath her fingers. She seemed a little stunned, and wasted a moment tracing his muscled abdomen with a slack jawed expression before Ichigo cleared his throat and jerked his head towards Kenpachi. "We can't keep him waiting."

"I know that," she snipped, turning away from Ichigo to hide her embarrassment.

Ichigo shook his head, but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Kenpachi's entire form was little more than a dark silhouette amidst a blinding golden aura of power. His eyes glowed like supernovas. Coyote Starrk had retreated to a respectful distance, though he didn't seem affected by Kenpachi's overwhelming strength. If anything, he looked bored, as if seeing such incredible spiritual power was nothing new for him.

But the way the arrancar kept glancing at Ichigo made him nervous. He didn't seem inclined to join the fight, but the hollow's dark eyes were narrowed, as if he were sizing Ichigo up. It was a look worn by many of the substitute soul reaper's former enemies, as if they were unimpressed by his physical form. It was like they got excited when they felt his spiritual pressure, and then became disappointed when some teenaged punk with a sword showed up. This was different, though. Unsettling. He chalked it up as his imagination, and put Zangetsu between him and his opponent.

"Right," muttered Ichigo, "let's do this. Bankai!"

* * *

Byakuya Kuchiki walked through the halls of his expansive mansion in a daze of confusion. Anger and bitter sadness welled within him like heaving tides, but he pushed them all away. He had suffered a defeat, that was a given, but he was alive. He would learn from this, bide his time, and before the end, he would have his vengeance. _No one_ made a fool of Byakuya Kuchiki and had a happy ending.

"Captain, why are we here?" Renji asked. "Shouldn't we hunt for Ichigo? Or… something?"

Byakuya's anger shouted at him to take up Renji's idea and run with it. His pride demanded he track down Kurosaki and end his miserable life. His worry for his sister stated that she was priority, and must be accounted for before he acted on his revenge.

But his duty as a Kuchiki must come first. First clan, then captaincy. Everything would fall into place. He just had to rationalize and think things through. Going to pieces would only hurt the moral of his subordinates and make his servants worry.

But dark thoughts trickled through his mind like blood dripping down the walls of his mansion. He couldn't stop remembering the instant Ichigo had impaled Rukia. It hurt his head just to think about it. He knew it made no sense. There was no reason for Kurosaki to kill her, it wasn't like him. Or was it? Men did terrible, horrible things when their hearts were broken. Was this Kurosaki's curtain call, his last desperate attempt to rectify what could never be between himself and Rukia?

If so, it was as clever and effective as it was cruel. Byakuya knew the ancient laws of nobility better than anyone, which was why he had returned home. The Archives must be kept up. Even if his mansion was in flames, and his clan was being put to slaughter, he was bound by his duty as a leader of his clan to defend and maintain the thousands of years of history in the Archives. This also went for noble weddings, and the fiascos that occurred during them.

Making his way into a room that smelled of parchment and dusty tomes, Byakuya set himself to work. Renji stood off to the side, gazing at his captain with concern. The clan leader pulled one of the many large, old leather bound tomes from a shelf, gathered an array of quills and inks, and lit several candles. When everything was prepared and ready, he sat down and got to work.

Certificates were carefully and masterfully drawn up. Names were filled in. Events and battles were recorded. Off the top of his head, Byakuya could take accurate stock of injured parties, spot on assessments of losses, and play-by-plays of each individual battle that had occurred. It was almost a sixth sense, and a valued skill to every Archivist in the Kuchiki clan. Their job was to maintain the Archives, and even in his hour of defeat, Byakuya did just that.

He drew up a marriage certificate for his sister, Rukia, and for the traitor, Ichigo, who had spirited her away. He wrote down and recorded how Ichigo had defeated Kamisaigaiku, and then stabbed Rukia. He wrote about how he, Byakuya, had stepped forward to defend the union, only to be defeated in an instant. He recounted his humiliating defeat, and recorded it for all time, and as he did, he swore to himself that he could turn the situation around. He made an oath that this was not what he would be remembered for. A fate could be changed if one fought hard enough, and a blade that was broken could be forged anew.

When his hands were tired and cramped from writing, and the candles he lit had burned low, Renji was woken up by Byakuya shutting the tome and standing from his chair.

"I am going to the forest," Byakuya said quietly, "you should tend to the squad and get some rest."

Renji's jaw worked furiously, and Byakuya knew what he was going to say before he even spoke.

"If it's all the same to you, sir, I'd like to remain close at hand. If Ichigo were to come back-"

"I am more than a match for Ichigo Kurosaki, even without my zanpakuto."

The red haired man turned his gaze to the floor as patches of red appeared on his cheeks. "Of course, sir."

The nobleman reigned in his anger. Renji was not at fault for hitting such a sore spot, it was Byakuya's own fault for reacting so poorly to the stress of losing his weapon. It was his own fault, because Rukia was gone, and he was the one to blame. He should've done something- anything- to stop the hollow. Instead, he'd frozen, and the hollow had gotten away.

"Captain Kuchiki," Renji was suddenly tense. He looked like he wanted to draw his sword, but stopped when Byakuya shot him a scowl. One careless swipe of a blade would be enough to send thousands of years of history crashing to the floor, and the tomes in that room were worth more than every soul reaper in the Seireitei would earn in their entire lifetimes. Even Byakuya's vast fortune could not compare to the value of the records in that room, whose history went back to the founding of the Gotei Thirteen.

"I sense Captain Kenpachi… he must have found Ichigo," Renji said.

The Captain of Squad Six took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and then made a decision that floored his Lieutenant.

"Let them fight," he said coldly. "I'm off to repair Senbonzakura. You may follow along, or go help Zaraki. Do as you like."

And with that, Byakuya swept out of the room, leaving Renji to choose between confronting the rogue substitute soul reaper, and looking after his Captain.

 _'That bastard tried to kill Rukia,_ ' Renji thought savagely, baring his teeth in a quiet snarl, ' _but then… the Captain…'_

Renji's captain was remarkably strong, even after such a devastating defeat. He handled it so much more gracefully than Renji would've, but the Lieutenant wasn't stupid. He knew that his superior was still reeling from his failure. Even if he didn't care for Renji's company, the Captain of the Sixth Division probably needed someone nearby for support. And so Renji hurried after Byakuya, tracing his spiritual pressure through the winding halls and long corridors of the estate until he came to a door that led outside.

Renji found himself in a section of what looked like a forest. If he had to guess, it was as close to a back yard as the mansion could get. Great trees towered overhead, and in the darkness of the night, it was eerie to behold. Shrill wind whistled through the branches, and then, from through the trees, Renji saw it: a light glittering through the darkness.

* * *

While the secret of forging the Asuachi was only known by one man, zanpakuto could be repaired quite easily in most instances. Through sheer willpower and meditation, a skilled shinigami could repair their blades, in either normal form, or in shikai. A bankai, however, was not so easily fixed. Once it was broken, it could not be repaired. It could be reassembled, much as Renji's Zabimaru had been after his fight with Ichigo, but the broken pieces of a bankai could not be replaced.

Renji made his way through the dark forest in earnest, following after the light. Cicadas chirped in the darkness, and bushes moved on either side of him, but Renji clenched his jaw and pressed onward. If his captain had gone this way, there was nothing for him to fear.

The trail he walked was well worn, as if many people had passed that way at one point, but the edges had begun to secede back into the wild. Renji came to a stop when the path ended at the edge of a stream. The creek flowed downhill, making a gentle gurgling sound as it went. It collected in a small pond filled with koi fish before running onward. Situated upstream of the pond, sitting just over the bubbling brook, a small gazebo acted as a sort of bridge. It was large enough for several people, but Byakuya sat within it by himself. He had taken off his shihakusho and haori, leaving him bare chested, with a waist wrap and a silken obi. His long black hair was loose and unrestrained, falling in onyx waves onto his pale flesh.

Incense burned in the gazebo, filling the air with a smoky pungence that made Renji's head spin. The lantern that Byakuya had been carrying hung from a bracket, painting the scene with an orange glow. The flickering shadows made Renji jumpy, but Byakuya did not seem to care. His eyes were shut. The hilt of Senbonzakura was held in Byakuya's hand. The blade, however, was situated in the koi pond downstream, stabbed into the bed of the pond where two koi swam around its honed edge in a strange dance.

Byakuya opened his eyes, and the forest surrounding the gazebo was loud with silence. The flame in the lantern seemed to stand at attention, causing no more jumpy shadows to leap at the corners of Renji's vision. Nothing stirred, save the fish in the pond. Byakuya's spiritual pressure was so profound, Renji found it difficult to breathe. The koi swam around the blade faster, spiraling together endlessly. The nobleman raised the hilt of his zanpakuto before his face and whispered, "Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The broken hilt transformed into a small twister of cherry blossom petals that hovered over his hand, spiraling much like the fish in the pond. The captain blew on the petals, and they fell out of his palm, cascading downward until they hit the water. The stream carried the petals to the blade, where they were dashed against the edge of the sword, sliced into nothingness by the current. But with each petal that was sliced, the blade seemed to grow. It took some time, perhaps hours, but before long, the guard was reformed. Then the hilt.

Renji sat against a tree and watched the process, noting the intensely serene look on his captain's face. It must've taken a lot of effort for him to be so calm and collected like that, especially given all that had happened.

Before Renji knew it, he'd fallen asleep against the tree at the edge of the clearing, and Byakuya smiled to himself. His Lieutenant's stubborn loyalty was part of what made him such a good comrade. Someday, with a little temperance and discipline, it might even make him a good captain.

Byakuya was pulled from these thoughts by the realization that his zanpakuto was completely repaired. He had no clue how much time had passed, but he could no longer sense Kenpachi Zaraki, nor Ichigo Kurosaki. An odd thing, considering neither of them had very strict control of their reiatsu.

He unfolded his legs and stepped into the stream, carefully walking through the icy water, and navigating the slippery stones of the creek bed until he was waist deep in the koi pond. Senbonzakura had been reforged. It was almost as if nothing had changed.

But that was far from the truth. The sword was different, just as Byakuya was different from the first time he'd managed to manifest the spirit of the zanpakuto. Its powers had grown, just like his. Only now, he'd done something he had sworn he would never do. At one point, Senbonzakura had been limited in that the blades were not allowed inside a perimeter. This was known as the safe zone, where Byakuya could stand amidst the swirling pink petals and not run the risk of being injured.

With the reforging of the blade, he had intentionally removed the safe zone. It was fitting, in his eyes, as there was no safe place in the world for someone who had wounded his pride to flee too. Not even someone who knew of Senbonzakura's former weakness could exploit it. Ichigo Kurosaki would suffer, and Byakyua's wrath was now unchained.

As he gripped the pommel of Senbonzakura, a hell butterfly descended from the heavens, and after listening to the message on it, the Captain of the Sixth Division sighed and made to leave. He stopped when he saw Renji, fast asleep against the trunk of a tree.

Byakuya took his haori and threw it over the Lieutenant like a blanket before leaving instructions with one of his servants to tell Renji where he had gone. And with that, he flash stepped away.

* * *

It pretty much went without saying, but the headquarters of the CCC were reduced to rubble within minutes.

Ichigo wasn't sure how long he'd been fighting. Once his instincts had kicked in, Ichigo lost all track of time. He dodged, parried, and backpedaled, trying to let Kenpachi wear himself down, but it was no good. Ichigo was too tired, and Kenpachi was too powerful. His unpredictable style of fighting was hard to read, like trying to learn a second language on the fly, and if Ichigo messed up, he was goner.

Or he would have been, if Rukia hadn't been running interference.

The noblewoman circled the duel like a hawk, striking Kenpachi with spells whenever it looked like Ichigo was about to be overwhelmed. She had saved his life more times that he could count, but in doing so, she ran the risk of drawing Zaraki's wrath. Before the captain could disengage, Ichigo would strike, and their melee would recommence.

Unfortunately, Ichigo wasn't sure how long this would last. Not only did Zaraki have help of his own, it was clear that his will was the only thing holding them in check. One word would be all it took, and Rukia would be set upon by an Arrancar and a Lieutenant.

Ichigo made to block a blow, but suddenly found that his blade was stuck. Kenpachi had crossed their blades, and used his other hand to hold the swords in place. He leaned in close, his breath hot on Ichigo's face, and whispered, "The only reason I haven't killed your girlfriend is cause Byakuya asked me not too. If she keeps attacking me, I'll assume she's a part of our duel. Is that what you want, Ichigo?"

The substitute soul reaper wrenched at his sword, but it would not budge. Blood flowed from between Kenpachi's fingers, but he held the blades in place, his uncovered eye peering so hard into Ichigo that he felt like he was being x-rayed.

Ichigo heard the crackle of spirit energy, and knew what was coming.

"No!" he called out, "Rukia, stop!"

"Hado thirty-three," she shouted, "Sokatsui!"

A blast of red energy exploded against Zaraki's back, and one of his knees buckled. Rukia stood behind him, one hand raised, with her other braced against her forearm. She was panting, and looked a little worn down, but in that moment, she had never looked more beautiful to Ichigo.

Her tight bun had just barely held, and strands of loose hair framed her face. Her make up was a little smudged, and her pristine wedding kimono was ripped up to her knee so that she could move more freely. She looked like a warrior princess who'd been called in on her day off to kick ass. Ichigo had never seen anything quite so hot in his entire life.

Zaraki let go of the blades and punched his bloody fist into Ichigo's face so hard that he blacked out and hit the rubble of the storage building he had been hiding in with the CCC. He blinked the black spots out of his eyes and pushed himself upright to see Zaraki advancing on Rukia. Unquenchable fear gripped Ichigo, shooting through his limbs like ice and freezing him in place.

Zaraki's sword hung loosely at his side, but that meant nothing. It wouldn't take anything more than an instant for Rukia to be sliced open for the second time that night.

The Captain of Squad Eleven raised his free hand, curling his fingers into a fist. Rukia felt herself quake from the intensity of his spiritual pressure. Fear brought her to her knees. She had no zanpakuto. It was still back at the Kuchiki estate.

"Byakuya never said I couldn't knock a little sense into you," Zaraki reasoned, his mouth a diagonal gash, his teeth bared in a snarl.

The fist came down. Rukia clamped her eyes shut, waiting for the pain.

"If you think I'll let you lay a finger on Rukia, you're dead wrong," Ichigo growled.

Rukia opened her eyes. Ichigo had taken Zaraki's punch, and slid back a few inches, but beyond that, he looked unaffected. Blood dripped from his split lip, but his eyes were filled with fury. Zaraki's fist was still pressed into his cheek. Ichigo swallowed the blood that filled his mouth. His reiatsu wrapped around him in a swathe of black as he focused his spiritual pressure into his physical strength. The chain of the Tensa Zangetsu curled around his free hand, and he drove it up under Kenpachi's chin in a fierce uppercut.

The captain was lifted off his feet by the force of the punch. Ichigo kicked off as well, shooting upward and applying as much pressure as possible. He felt his knuckles pop and fracture, and he let loose a bellow of pain and rage. Kenpachi soared through the air before arcing back down to earth, and slamming through the roof of the building Yachiru was situated on.

"Huh?" the pink haired girl blinked. She'd been so distracted by her candy that she hadn't seen what had fallen through the roof only inches from where she sat.

"I could've handled it," Rukia said, getting to her feet and brushing the dust from her knees.

"I know," Ichigo floated downward before landing gracefully next to Rukia, "but you don't have Sore no Shirayuki. We have to get your zanpakuto. Do you know where it is?"

"At the Kuchiki estate, but- Ichigo, your hand!"

Ichigo winced as Rukia gripped his injured hand in both of her own. She gently ran her fingers over his swollen knuckles, and he felt his eyes start to water.

"Take it easy- HRGH!" he gasped as she popped one of his knuckles back into place.

"This is no good," Rukia mumbled, ignoring another strained groan as she forced another knuckle into its socket. "We need a healer."

Another voice interrupted their conversation.

"Looks like you're not as hopelessly weak as I thought you were, Ichigo. And before you two go off looking for that zanpakuto at the Kuchiki estate, we have a gift for you."

A beam of silver fell from the sky, and struck the ground at Rukia's feet. She shivered, a wave of cold running up her spine as the beam solidified into a sword she recognized well. It was the Sore no Shirayuki, and it frosted where it touched the ground.

"That damned zanpakuto gave me frostbite," a woman's voice complained loudly.

Peering up into the sky, Ichigo and Rukia found themselves faced with several people they never thought they would see again. Each of them was garbed in the white robes of Aizen's arrancar army, and all had pieces of hollow masks across their faces.

The first person that had spoken was another arrancar, this one with blue hair, and half of his face covered in the ferocious bony jaws of a hollow. His long white coat was open to reveal a toned abdomen with a hole right where his belly button would be.

"Long time no see, Ichigo," Grimmjow smirked. "Or should I still call you Lord White? I suppose you and your hollow aren't really the same person, are you?"

"ICHIGOOOO!" a small girl with turquoise hair shot from the sky and fell into his arms like she'd been launched from a mortar. Ichigo hit the ground so hard that he forgot which way was up, and stars danced across his field of vision. When he recovered, he found that his hand was disturbingly warm and wet.

"Newiew isth happy thoo thee you, Maffster Ithigo!"

The child-like arrancar, Neliel, had crash-landed on Ichigo's chest, and was now drooling heavily onto his injured hand.

"Gah, what the hell?! Cut it out, Nel!"

"Thowwy," she said through her tongue, "but you gotta owie!"

Ichigo wiped his hand on his robe, and was surprised to find that the bruising on his hand had faded. He'd almost forgotten that Nel's saliva had healing properties. Rukia had already popped his knuckles back into joint, so while the hand still hurt, he could move his fingers enough to fight. Punching Zaraki's jaw was like trying to punch through steel.

And speaking of Rukia, she had her sword in her hand. Now she looked like a warrior princess in full, and Ichigo's heart hammered against his ribcage in uproarious applause.

"Master!"

"Lord White!"

"Master, we've missed you!"

Before Ichigo could react, he found himself beset upon by the remaining three arrancars, all of which began to tear at him. He quickly overcame his shock when he realized they were not attacking him, but were instead nuzzling him, pulling at his robes, and trying to hog him all to themselves. Another moment passed, and he recognized the trio.

"I know you three," Ichigo said, trying and failing to untangle himself from the arrancar women, "you're the hollows that fought Quilge. The Tres Bestias!"

The woman in his lap grinned. She had shoulder length black hair, and eyes that were two different colors. One was ice blue, and the other was golden amber. She laughed and pushed Ichigo back onto the ground, looking like she wanted to eat him whole.

"It really _is_ you," she said to herself. "To think that _you_ were Lord White this whole time… I still can't believe you're really a soul reaper."

The three women doted on Ichigo, taking no care where they placed their hands, and Rukia's fist shook around the hilt of her sword as jealousy hit her like a tidal wave. Nonchalantly stepping around Ichigo's gaggle of adoring women, she plucked her husband out of their arms and dragged him along by the neck of his robes, choking him a little for good measure.

"Rukia-grk-stop-hrgh-I can't-gah-breathe!"

 _'Good,'_ she thought venomously, dumping him rather unceremoniously behind her and turning to face the Tres Bestias, all of whom turned to stare at her with narrowed eyes. It may have been three against one, and Rukia knew full well that these women were more like animals that humans, but she knew she had to stand her ground.

"Ichigo and I are married," Rukia said, "there has to be some kind of mistake. He's not a lord of anything, except maybe being a miserable fool. Tell them Ichigo!"

She turned to frown at him, but he was still massaging his throat. For some odd reason, Ichigo found that he remembered more of these girls than just their sporadic encounters since Aizen's siege on Fake Karakura Town. There was more to it than that. He knew their names, their faces, their likes and dislikes. Somehow, he knew more about these three arrancars than he knew about some of his classmates.

"Master White would never agree to such a union," Mila Rose said, swatting her long dark hair over her shoulder impatiently, "but then… you are a delectable little morsel, aren't you? I don't think I'd mind sharing the Master with someone like you."

It took Rukia a second to realize the hollow was talking about her. She blushed and said, "W-w-what are you talking about, arrancar? Speak plainly!"

"Allow me," Grimmjow said, stepping forward and running a hand through his hair. "These three are consorts for our lord and master, White. He was a hollow that came to Hueco Mundo and unified the Arrancars into a fighting force against the scattered Quincies that were left there after Yhwach's death. He led us to victory, and took ownership of Los Noches. Oddly enough, this hollow was none other than the one Ichigo manifests. We've been looking for him for a few weeks, but we finally managed to track him here. Earlier tonight, for a few short minutes, we felt the spiritual pressure of our master. We came here to offer our assistance."

Ichigo turned pale as Rukia's face fell into shadow. Would she blame him for whatever dastardly deeds had been committed by his hollow? And what was all that crap about his inner hollow actually doing something that wasn't detrimental?

"Wait a sec, you're saying that my inner hollow helped you retake Hueco Mundo and Los Noches from the Quincy?!"

"Yes, it was a beautiful battle," Sung-Sun muttered through the sleeve of her robe, "White killed every last Quincy and unified the hollows. Any who stood against him were eaten, as the Master desired more power."

"After that, we became Lord White's personal consorts. Grimmjow was his enforcer, and Neliel was his tactical advisor," Apacci said. "And now we're here to protect Ichigo. If he dies, then Master White dies with him. We won't allow that to happen."

An explosion punctuated her statement as insane laughter rose from the hole Zaraki had punched into the roof of the other storage building. Yachiru took one look at the golden reiatsu and leaped through the sky, landing on the roof of the next building over.

Ichigo frowned at the pink haired girl, who looked on with enthusiasm. In the year or so since he'd seen her, she didn't seem to have changed, except that she had become a bit more desensitized to the violence. In fact, it didn't look as though she had aged at all.

She popped a chocolate into her mouth and pumped her fist into the air as Kenpachi's reiatsu reduced the building to crumbling ruins. "Go, go, go! Kill him, kill him, kill him!"

Ichigo briefly wondered if the Soul Society had some sort of child protection agency that he could call so as to safeguard Yachiru from her captain's vicious ways, and then Kenpachi appeared in front of him, so fast that he couldn't react (which was incredible, seeing as Ichigo was still in bankai.) He was wondering why he hadn't sensed the movement when he remembered that Kenpachi never used flash step, like a normal soul reaper. He relied entirely upon his leg muscles, which had gotten even stronger, it seemed.

"My turn." The captain clenched a fist and swung it upward, planting a punch under Ichigo's jaw and sending him flying.

His teeth clicked in his skull. He tasted blood from accidentally biting through his tongue. The force of the punch seemed to rattle something loose in his brain, because more memories shook themselves free of his inner hollow.

He remembered blood and sand, and waging war against the Sternritter. He had led the charge against the white clad men and women of Juha Bach's forces, until nothing remained of them but rotting corpses and the stench of death. The hollows who had survived bowed to him. They called him a savior, a leader. For once in his life, the hollow was not regarded as a monster. He had been treated with the respect he deserved.

He had taken Los Noches for his own, and the Tres Bestias, whom had fought with him against the Sternritter, became his concubines. Neliel had become his advisor in the ways of peacemaking and governing. She made sure the hollows under his care were looked after, no matter how weak or pathetic they may be. Any who pledged allegiance to White were guarded by his fierce reputation and indomitable authority. Grimmjow had been his enforcer. Anyone who dared defy the new King of Los Noches was brought to heel, and then they were devoured by White's unending hunger for power.

All this and more crashed through Ichigo's mind. He recalled the exact ways in which White and the Tres Bestias had shown their carnal affections for each other. There was blood, sweat, pain, pleasure, and a variety of other... bodily fluids.

It was a good thing that the pain from smashing into a wall broke through the haze of memories, because he felt like he was about to be sick.

Kenpachi's attack was not reinforced with any of his reiatsu. It was purely physical, but the pain from it was beyond excruciating. Ichigo had broken a couple teeth, and his brain felt like one of those magic eight balls that someone had shaken without pause. Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the throbbing in his face as he spat out blood and used his sword like a walking stick.

He noted that everyone who had a sword had bared it, and raised it against Captain Kenpachi, who looked none too bothered about their nonverbal threat.

"This is between me and Ichigo," Kenpachi growled. "You arrancars shouldn't butt in."

Mila Rose, the tallest of the Tres Bestias, let loose a growl. The sound was less human, and more like a lioness whose pride was on the line. "Master White cannot defend himself, so we must do it for him. We will not allow you to-"

"Stand down," Ichigo told them, tasting the strangeness of the words. It wasn't often he gave someone orders, and it was even less often that they were followed. To his surprise, the Tres Bestias and Grimmjow all stepped back. Ichigo put a hand to his chest and found it was mostly bare. His robe was a visible manifestation of his bankai, and he was down to less than half strength. Zaraki, on the other hand, hadn't even used his bankai. Ichigo wasn't sure Kenpachi could consciously use bankai, but if he could, then things would get ugly real fast. Ichigo's best shot was to strike first and strike hard. A drawn out fight would render him powerless. He needed to end things here.

He took a step forward and wrenched Tensa Zangetsu from the pavement. The chain coiled around his arm like a serpent before wrapping around his chest in an 'X' like a bandolier. The cold steel against his flesh helped shift his focus away from the pain in his jaw, which felt like it may have been fractured.

Ichigo stepped forward. Zaraki did the same. Small stones crunched beneath Ichigo's sandals as he picked up the pace. The arrancars and Rukia all backed away as Zaraki and Ichigo drove at each other, sprinting as quickly as they could. Zaraki's sword dragged against the stone, sparking and gouging a great line in it.

In the next second, they both vanished before reappearing in midair, their zanpakuto ringing shrilly as their blades clashed with frightening speed. Know that his spirit energy was already on the downswing, Ichigo tried to act as Zaraki did and use as little of it as possible. He fought with nothing but his brawn, and his battle reflexes born from sparring with his father. Where his strength fell short, he bolstered it with his bankai, and found, much to his pleasure, that the expenditure of his power was lessened significantly. He focused, keeping himself calm, and letting his muscle memory do the brunt of the work as he formulated a plan.

"I didn't believe it at first," Kenpachi called over the ringing of steel, "but I guess you really are a traitor now, aren't you, Ichigo? Consorting with arrancars, defying captains and nobles, leveling buildings and causing mayhem! You sure know how to have a good time!"

Ichigo wanted to say something smart about how Zaraki himself had knocked out all those tallies, but decided not to respond. It was difficult enough fighting a man who struck with no remorse and no regard for his own safety. The captain was less like a man, and more like a whirlwind of steel and death. Ichigo's fighting style was similar enough, but it was born of necessity and instinct, not dominance and battlemongering.

The substitute soul reaper parried one blow, and then another. He kept his eyes on Kenpachi, knowing that sooner or later, an opening would appear. They always did with Zaraki. He never cared about being injured.

Finally, the captain brought his zanpakuto down with a roar, and his golden reiatsu cracked the ground beneath his feet. Ichigo sidestepped the attack, and before Kenpachi could guard, Ichigo had unwound the chain of the Tensa Zangetsu from his chest and wrapped it around his opponent. Zaraki's arms were pinned to his sides, and struggle though he might, he could not break free. Not immediately, anyway.

His spiritual pressure flared, and with each passing moment, it became clearer that he could not and would not be restrained. His freedom would be won sooner or later.

Pulling the chain taut, Ichigo dragged Kenpachi to his knees. His face still ached. His palms were raw from swinging his sword, and his forearms were sore and shaky. His limbs still tingled with the reverberations of their strikes. He was panting hard, and his skin was slick with sweat from the effort, but he knew the victory wouldn't last. He and his allies were surrounded. He could sense the presence of Kenpachi's reinforcements, but that did not keep his attention. He was too busy blinking stinging sweat out of his eyes, and keeping Zaraki down.

The captain's eyes were glowing again, and the chain would not hold much longer. Ichigo raised the Tensa Zangetsu, thinking that it would be best to strike while the captain was incapacitated. Then, like a light being switched off, Kenpachi's reiatsu faded. Ichigo grew cold, unseasonably so, as if a rogue breeze from Antarctica had skated across his back. He saw ice spreading over the defeated captain's limbs. Kenpachi peered at the frost with confusion before turning his attention to someone behind Ichigo.

"Huh. I forgot about _your_ bankai. Well played, Kuchiki." He smiled broadly, his face pulled into a tight grimace that was more insane than comical.

Rukia stood just behind Ichigo, and was covered in hoarfrost. He had never seen her bankai in person, but now that he had, he knew exactly why her zanpakuto was called the most beautiful of the ice types. The frost formed a long, flowing robe of white with a high collar that made Rukia look like the statue of an immortal goddess. She did not move at all, and Ichigo knew that if he touched her, she would fracture like glass. Her raven hair was now whiter than the purest snowfall, and was decorated with a large hairpiece of ice. A jagged crystalline pendant rested on her breast. Ribbons flowed out behind her, frozen as if they had been caught in an icy gale.

But what drew Ichigo's eyes the most was her expression. It was aloof and wistful, yet wanting and melancholy all at once. It was exactly the sort of expression Ichigo would expect to see on a being who had seen empires rise and fall. On Rukia, though, it was so sad and heart wrenching that Ichigo felt like his heart had frozen over, too.

With a start, he realized that her precise control of her bankai was extraordinarily masterful, and downright lethal. It left her utterly defenseless, and weak enough to shatter into millions of pieces with the slightest movement, but she was so precise that the ice she manifested only covered Kenpachi. The chain of the Tensa Zangetsu was untouched. With a power like that, hundreds or even thousands of enemies could fall before her in an instant, crumbling to frozen chunks of flesh as she looked on sadly, distantly, unperturbedly.

It wasn't until she thawed out and began tugging at his sleeve that he realized he had been staring at her, his possibly broken jaw hanging wide open.

"C'mon," Rukia mumbled, tugging his even more fervently, "we need to leave before any more captains arrive."

At that moment, a palanquin appeared out of absolutely nowhere in a burst of reishi. It was decorated and gilded, but unmanned. Two shadows sat within the veiled carriage. The end of a cane poked through the blinds, and the pale face of Kisuke Urahara peered out at everyone present.

"Did you guys call for emergency evacuation services? Step right up! We'll transport you and your allies out of harm's way for a modest fee!"

Urahara's hat fell off of his head as Yoruichi sank her fist into the top of it. When he winced and sucked in a breath, she opened the doors to the palanquin and beckoned to Ichigo and Rukia, who were standing with their arms around each other. Ichigo didn't know it, but Rukia had positioned herself so that she was situated between him and the Tres Bestia. She shot the arrancars a glare, which they all returned.

"Get in, everyone," Yoruichi called. "This battle is ours. We're going back to the Shihouion Training Facility. There's no use pushing our luck."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Guess who managed to recover all of the music from their broken ipod? Me. Guess who has had the time to actually go through it all and organize it. Not me.**_

 _ **So, long time no see, I guess. Half of this chapter was written when I posted the last one, but unfortunately 90 hour work weeks sort of get in the way of writing and editing. As does life. Also, the actual notes for this story, as they are written in the word document, say the following: "Ichigo punches Zaraki through a wall like a fucking boss" and Yoruichi finishes the chapter saying "Get in, losers, we're going on another training arc." Little jokes everywhere, if you don't count my appaling misuse of the English language. So, essentially, Byakuya Kuchiki is triggered, Zaraki is bust, and White got bizaay with the Tres Bestias. Oh, and Ichigo and Rukia are married. And Kisuke and Yoruichi for the save. I'm gonna have to come up with something original.**_

 _ **On another note, happy one hundred thousand word anniversary. Yeah, I know, I can't believe I've managed to stretch this story out so far. It's looking to get even longer, too, as I had another good idea for an ending just the other day. But I won't spoil anything. In any case, thanks for reading. I'll be posting melodramatic music from my teenaged angst years, which I used to fuel this story.**_

 _ ***MUSIC***_

 _ **Famous Last Words-My Chemical Romance (I wasn't kidding, my teenaged years were so angsty it's cringe)**_

 _ **You're Going Down-Sick Puppies (the fight song of the ages... and of many drunken college parties)**_

 _ **Fiction-Lund (not really applicable to the story, but new shit from one of my favorite sad rappers, too good not to share)**_

 _ **Next Contestant-Nickelback (got me thinking of an AU where Rukia is a bartender, and Ichigo is a bouncer)**_

 _ **I Miss the Days-NF (more new shit from more sad rappers)**_

 _ **Savior-Rise Against (probably a repost, but still gold)**_

 _ **That's all I got. Thanks for reading.**_

 _ **.**_

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 _ **.**_

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 _ **.**_

 _ **Are you still reading this? Absolute madlad.**_


	19. Peace Offerings

After battling Kenpachi, Ichigo had hoped that the journey back to the Shihouin Training Facility would be quick and painless.

He was proven wrong as soon everyone loaded inside and the palanquin vanished.

The interior was stuffed with soft pillows and fluffy poufs. Throw blankets and soft mats covered the floor. He didn't realize why until everyone had piled in, and then the world outside turned pitch black. The interior of the palanquin was still lit via some unseen source, but that didn't make things much better.

It was as if the unmanned palanquin had been hurled off the edge of a cliff. They tumbled endlessly into nothingness, and the journey was far from smooth.

Karin chest bumped Chad, and was sent flying with a scream. Yoruichi fell into Grimmjow, and the two began to hiss and spit like alley cats. They batted at each other until Urahara tumbled hat over clogs into them.

Rukia was sent hurdling into the Tres Bestias, and neither the soul reaper nor the arrancars looked pleased about being squished together in a corner. Ichigo barely managed to avoid bumping into Chad, who was easily the largest and most densely muscled of everyone present, when Neliel shot out of nowhere like a kamikaze plane and caught him in the gut, just like she had during his battle. With that, he was sent flying into the mess that was Yoruichi, Kisuke, and Grimmjow trying to untangle from each other. He came out the other side covered in claw marks and cat hair. Then he was accidentally kicked in the head by Karin, who was bouncing back and forth between the ceiling and the floor. He held tightly onto Neliel, clutching the girl to his chest, figuring that she was the smallest, and needed the most protection.

And that was when he fell into Rukia and the Tres Bestias.

Several pairs of hands were upon him in an instant, and none of them seemed to take great care as to where they put their claws, or whether or not they ended up drawing blood. The spinning of the world coupled with his lack of spiritual power made him whoozy and distant, but he recalled the growling of several beasts as Rukia wrested him from the arrancars and managed to kick away from the lot of them. He recalled falling through darkness, with his arms protectively wrapped around Neliel, and Rukia's arms wrapped around him.

A gentle smile graced his features, and felt himself slipping out of consciousness. Then, Ichigo's eyes closed, and he knew no more.

* * *

"Kenny, what's wrong with you?! Why aren't you going after Ichigo?!" Yachiru asked, stamping her foot as a group of Division Four healers tended to the frozen captain.

While he was hardly the brightest bulb in the room, Kenpachi was well aware of what would happen if he moved. Shattering into icy hunks of bloody flesh was not something he wanted in his immediate future, so he just grunted and tried to hold still while the medics worked on thawing him out. When his mouth and head were unfrozen, he sucked on his tongue before replying.

"I don't need to go after Ichigo. He'll be back."

Coyote Starrk came up to the pair of them, earning a timid glance from the people working on the captain. His arrancar powers were still so great that he could send disturbing shivers of fright down the backs of even the most battle hardened soul reapers without even trying.

"Looks like they did a number on you, Kenpachi," Starrk noted. "I was expecting more."

The captain bared his teeth. "Are you kidding? I'm gonna get an earful just for knocking over a couple buildings. I can't even activate my bankai here in the Seireitei without leveling everything in a square kilometer. Besides, whichever way you look at it, I won that fight."

Yachiru reached up and grabbed one of Kenpachi's hands with both of her own, gently trying to massage the numbness out of his fingers. "But you didn't win! They beat you! You're frozen stiff!"

"Didn't I?" Kenpachi's mouth stretched into a toothy grin. "I drove out the intruders. They only managed to slow me down using their bankais. I'm still standing, stronger than ever, and they ended up running away like chicken shits because they knew they couldn't take me. That means I won."

"Ooooooh," Yachiru said thoughtfully, putting a finger to her cheek.

"Hmm?" Starrk mumbled, waving his hand at a large black butterfly that fluttered about his head. "Hey, what's with this thing? You guys have some sort of pest problem?"

Yachiru laughed and held out a hand, and the butterfly fluttered into her palm. "No silly, it's a hell butterfly! We use them for communication! Uh-oh… looks like this one is important."

The pink haired girl held the butterfly aloft for everyone to hear, and the voice of the Captain Commander resonated from it.

"This is the Head Captain. All captains are hereby ordered to report to the Assembly Hall, immediately. Yes, that includes you, Kenpachi."

"Tch, how can I?" The Eleventh Division Captain grumbled as he flexed his numb fingers. "I'm frozen."

"Oh! Oh! I'll go for you, Kenny!" Yachiru said brightly, jumping up and down and waving her hand like a kindergartener anxious to give the teacher an answer.

Kenpachi's face was lost in darkness, and the lines upon it deepened exponentially. When he spoke, it was in an undertone. "I'm not sure I want you out of my sight just yet, Yachiru. I only just got you back."

The girl's smile faded. Standing on her tippy toes, she put a finger to the captain's forehead and uttered, "Remember what I told you when you found me? I won't ever leave you alone again. I promise."

The captain raised his chin to look at his lieutenant. Something in his expression softened, becoming more genuine, more gentle. "Fine, you can go. Make sure to take notes so we don't forget what the Commander says. And you should take Starrk, here, with you, and let everyone know he's under my protection. I'm gonna do some digging on my own, figure out what's been going on."

The lieutenant of Squad Eleven beamed and hopped onto Starrk's shoulders. Though he showed no surprise, nor any signs of distaste, his expression did tighten marginally when she dug her heels into his collarbones and gripped his ears like a steering wheel.

"Onward!" she cried. "To the Captains' Assembly Hall!"

"I don't know my way around the Seireitei." Starrk said coldly. "And walking into a room full of captains would be suicide for me. Go by yourself."

The girl leaned so far forward that their noses nearly touched, though from any angle that smile would have been just as overly joyful. "Don't worry about it. You're Kenny's friend, right? No one will mess with you, I promise! They're all to scared of him to hurt his buddies!"

Coyote frowned. Yachiru was endearingly adorable in that annoying way of hers, and her demeanor was a painful reminder of Lilynette's absence. For some reason, after dying and being rebirthed in Hueco Mundo, Coyote Starrk's second half hadn't reformed. He didn't know how or why, but the small arrancar girl had seemingly vanished without a trace. Lilynette had never once lied to Starrk. Even if she tried, they were so connected that he would have picked up on it before she'd even have the chance to speak a falsehood. Something told him that Yachiru would never lie to him, either. Starrk's eyes went unfocused, and for a moment, Yachiru looked just like Lilynette, her soft pink hair changing to lime green, her cheeky grin replaced with a scowl just as potent as his own. Then his vision readjusted, and the girl on his shoulders was suddenly a soul reaper once again.

"Whatever," he relented. "I'll take your word for it. You sure you're not gonna keel over and die on me, Kenpachi?"

"Get out of here, Starrk. The Head Captain is a pushover, but he doesn't like waiting. Oh, and when he realizes who you are, make sure Yachiru gets a picture of the stupid look on his face so I can hang it on my wall. I could use a good laugh."

"You got it, Kenny!"

Starrk cast his deadpan gaze across the Seireitei, looking for a place that emitted the sense of grandiose self-importance that the captains of the Gotei 13 fed upon, like flies upon fetid flesh. Then he shook himself, remembering that his ally, Kenpachi, wasone of those captains. Perhaps there was a chance- just the thinnest, most minute probability, that they weren't all bad.

"Tall building?" he asked. "That one there?"

"Yeah, that's it," Yachiru exclaimed. "Let's go!"

Kenpachi blinked, and then Starrk and Yachiru were gone. Unlike a normal arrancar or shinigami, Starrk's means of instantaneous transportation was different in that it did not leave any afterimage. This also made him difficult to track, and his movements were nigh impossible to follow in a fight. Kenpachi was no exception to this observation, and he'd had a difficult time of keeping up back when they'd first met in Hueco Mundo. He drifted off as he recollected exactly what had gone down moments after he'd found the arrancar, and how the two of them had miraculously become friends.

* * *

 _The dunes of Hueco Mundo were as unending and ceaseless as Kenpachi's anger. And he knew himself well enough to admit that his rage was as vastly infinite as the sky, so that was definitely saying something._

 _He had walked for some time, and the rough sand had worn through his sandals and tabi, leaving his feet bare. It was a good thing the captain was so thick skinned, otherwise the world of hollows might have very well killed him already. Something told him that very few soul reapers could ever survive in such a harsh climate, and those that managed it would never really be the same afterward._

 _But the black skies and pale moon did not bother Kenpachi. He found they were a pleasant change of pace from the bright, sunny days, which had only ever seemed dark and cold after Yachiru had mysteriously vanished._

 _How long had she been gone, now? Why was it that he could still hear her speaking to him in his dreams? Why was he suddenly able to use his bankai?_

 _If he had to choose between using his bankai and having his Lieutenant back at his side, Kenpachi knew which he would rather have. He was powerful enough as it is. Being strong was just boring. Nothing he had found and fought in this desolate place lasted longer than a few moments, and then he was back to the painful monotony of his life. Only now, that life was tainted with fear. The thought of Yachiru alone and isolated put a hesitance in his step that he'd never known. Every second away from her was a second she was in danger, and without someone to protect, it was as though his love of fighting had abandoned him._

 _Since Yachiru had gone, he hadn't really engaged in battle. Any hollow stupid enough to try and eat him was eviscerated with a single slash of his sword, and usually it wasn't even enough for him to break stride. After a while, they had gotten the message: this guy wasn't worth the trouble. He had been left alone, and any hollows he glimpsed were gone before he could get close._

 _There was no point drawing out a battle if Yachiru wasn't there to cheer him on._

 _And then, he'd had his lucky day… or would it be considered a lucky night, seeing as the sun didn't shine Hueco Mundo? Whatever the case, he'd found the man he'd been looking for. Though, Kenpachi supposed, he wasn't really a man, was he?_

 _Coyote Starrk, the Primera Espada, stood by himself amidst the dunes, next to an enormous, tall tree that was bleached white and stripped of its bark by the harsh sands. The corpses of many a hollow surrounded him, but none appeared to have suffered any wounds. The arrancar was dressed in dusty grey clothes that were tattered and worn. The front of his coat was cut open, and stained with dried blood from an old wound. Ordinarily, Kenpachi might think of seeking out such a strong opponent for battle, but that was not what he wanted. Perhaps not yet, anyway._

 _"You there," Kenpachi sneered, "I know you."_

 _"Do you?" the arrancar asked quietly._

 _He turned, surveying the soul reaper with silent disinterest. He looked a little confused, like he wasn't sure what to think of the odd looking man before him._

 _"Yeah, you're Starrk, that arrancar who could manipulate pieces of his soul. I've gotta bone to pick with you."_

 _Coyote flashed Kenpachi a glare that would've made a lesser shinigami falter. "I wouldn't come any closer. Anyone who does ends up dead."_

 _"That's a risk I'm willing to take," muttered the soul reaper captain. He began to take slow, purposeful strides towards the arrancar when he felt himself rebuffed by an unseen force. The soul reaper halted in his tracks. Starrk's reiatsu was even more impressive now than it had been during the battle for the replica Karakura town. Were hollows stronger after being reincarnated in Hueco Mundo? Or was it just home field advantage? Regardless, Kenpachi chuckled and took another step, breaking through the barrier that was Starrk's incredible spiritual power. At once, their reiatsus flared upward into the sky like beacons: one golden, like the sun, the other cold and blue, like the moon._

 _Starrk drew two blades of azure reiatsu from thin air and charged the soul reaper, who raised his own sword. Just when they were about to collide, Starrk vanished completely. It wasn't a flash step, it was far too different. It left no trace of his spiritual pressure, but Kenpachi wasn't stupid. His opponents always tried to flank him. It never worked._

 _Wheeling about, Kenpachi saw the hollow's blades inches from his neck. There was no time for him to react, but a wicked grin lit up his face. It was time to take things up another notch._

 _Flexing the muscles of his covered eye, he managed to dislodge the special reiatsu suppressing eyepatch that Mayuri Kurotsuchi had made for him. Starrk was blasted backward like he'd been hit by a freight train, sent flying by the release of the shinigami's true powers. Kenpachi laughed like a lunatic and charged after him._

 _"This is the most fun I've had in ages!" he bellowed as their swords cried out in ringing protest._

 _There was no telling how long their fight had lasted. It seemed to have stretched on as long as the ceaseless night of Hueco Mundo. Sparks flew and blood splattered in the sand, howls of agony and shouts of triumph echoed through the dunes._

 _But at long last, both combatants fell to their knees, winded and weary. Their arms shook, their fingers bled. Each was covered in more wounds than they could care to count in their haggard states. Their spirit energies were both totally drained._

 _"You… soul reapers…." Starrk panted heavily. "You just… can't let it lie… you had to track me down… you took Lilynette from me…now you're trying to… make it so... I can't…. find her…"_

 _The arrancar staggered to his feet, a brilliant blue sword forming in his palm, but then his knees buckled, he fell over sideways, and his sword vanished. The sand was cool and refreshing against his face. He opened his eyes to find that the soul reaper had rolled himself over, and was gazing at Starrk with urgent interest._

 _"I… didn't come all this way… to kill you…. I wanted to… ask you something…" Every breath Kenpachi took made a soft, hollow whistling noise, like he was dehydrated._

 _"…what?" Starrk couldn't believe his ears. He wasn't sure how many times he'd been reincarnated, but the memories of his past life were already coming back to him. He'd been slain by a soul reaper. They had taken Lilynette from him. Why on earth would a soul reaper come all this way, if not to try and settle the score?_

 _"I need… your help… Yachiru is gone…." Kenpachi told him._

 _Starrk blinked. "Yachiru?"_

 _"The girl I take care of… my lieutenant… she… vanished. And I think… it's my fault…. If I were stronger… I wouldn't have needed… to use bankai… and she'd… still be here…"_

 _Kenpachi rolled onto his back and stared up at the stars. He felt hot, wet weakness fall from the corners of his eyes. It was shameful to weep in front of your natural enemy, but he couldn't help it. Verbalizing his doubts made him feel worthless, but he knew it was the truth. If he had been stronger during the Sternritter invasion, he wouldn't have needed his bankai, and Yachiru would still be around._

 _Starrk took a shuddering breath. "So you lost… someone you cared about?"_

 _"Yeah. I think I know where she went… but I can't get to her…so I came here to… ask for your help."_

 _Coyote Starrk opened his mouth to say no when the final moments of his past life came to him. He was falling from the sky, ruminating on how he was the aspect of death that embodied solitude. But as they say, hind sight is perfect, and as he died, he realized that he hadn't been alone. Not truly. The other Espada had been his comrades. Under Aizen they had, more or less, formed a sort of family. Was it perfect? Hell no, but they had come together anyway. In spite of their differences, and regardless of their reasons, they had formed an uneasy alliance._

 _No, he hadn't been alone, then. But he had been before, until this lone soul reaper had shown up, beat the shit out of him, and then proceeded asked him for his help._

 _Starrk was more familiar than most with the pain of isolation and solitude. People always died alone, and hollows were no different in that regard. But to have a part of you ripped away; to have someone you knew better than you knew yourself vanish without a trace, and to have only yourself to blame for it… that was a pain he was still coming to terms with, himself. It was an ache so all-encompassing that Starrk wouldn't wish such a burden on his worst enemies. And it was a burden he'd been carrying ever since he'd been reincarnated, and found that Lilynette was no longer with him._

 _Solitude. It was a title Starrk had once worn with a small bit of pride, and it was a role he had played well. Now, however, he rejected it. He didn't want to be alone anymore. He was so sick of the silence, so tired of the endless spinning of his own thoughts in his head. He was tired of roaming these white sands._

 _'_ Other alliances have been forged from less commonalities, _' he reasoned._

 _"I'll help…" Starrk said finally, "I'll help you find Yachiru, soul reaper. And in return, you will help me find Lilynette."_

 _"You've gotta deal, arrancar." Kenpachi huffed, his lips curling at their corners to reveal wicked sharp incisors._

 _"My name is Coyote Starrk," the arrancar said. "What's yours?"_

 _"Kenpachi Zaraki," said the shinigami. "Remember it."_

 _So began one of the strangest friendships the world had ever seen, and a series of odd experimentations that would have piqued even Aizen's interest. To think that the powers of an arrancar could be taught to a soul reaper was ludacris. To think that they could be learned, adapted, and applied by said soul reaper was even more so._

 _Meditation, training, and discipline were not Zaraki's strong suits, but he had still practiced alongside the arrancar, who could sit for hours at a time in silence._

 _It was some time before he was met with success, and woke to find Yachiru standing over him, drawing on his face with a marker._

 _"Hiya, Kenny!" she had chirped. "Long time, no see!"_

* * *

"Captain Zaraki, you probably shouldn't move just yet," one of the healers said hurriedly, as the captain pushed himself to his feet.

"Quit worrying," Zaraki commanded, letting his power seep into his flesh and burn away at the ice that was left on his extremities.

His golden aura burned as hot as a quasar as he peered out over the countryside that encapsulated the Soul Society. Ichigo would be back. There was no doubt in his mind about that. All he had to do was bide his time. Yachiru was taking care of the meeting with the old man. So where did that leave him?

"I'm going for a walk," the captain decided, not heading in any general direction.

The healers looked after him before turning to their superior, an older man that was a seated officer of the fourth Division.

"Uh… should we stop him, sir?"

"Tch," the officer tutted quietly, "not if you value having all of your legs and arms still attached. Just let him go."

* * *

To the assembled captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, things could not have been more grimly tense. An emergency meeting had been called at the behest of the Captain Commander, in the dead of night, no less. The carefully guarded expression of each captain was taut and thin, as if each of them were stretched to the breaking point. This alone would have been enough to make any normal person shake in his sandals and quail beneath the pressure exuded by these pillars of justice and righteousness that were the captains of the Gotei Thirteen.

Perhaps it was a good thing, then, that Orihime Inoue was not a regular person. The young redhead felt no fear. She stood to the right of the Captain Commander's seat, her head listed slightly to the side as she peered at each of the captains, unaware of how her stare only served to irk them. All of their reiatsus were so vibrant and beautiful, and standing in the room was like standing in an electrifying rainbow of spirit energy.

The stark, pale bluish white of Toshiro Hitsugaya's reiryoku was a delightful contrast to the pinkish purple of Byakuya Kuchiki's. Rojuro Otoribashi's aura shone like polished brass, and was like the sun to the moon that was Kensei Muguruma's marbled white spirit energy.

"Almost everyone is here, Captain Commander," noted Byakuya, "should we get this meeting started?"

Shunsui Kyoraku looked like hell, slouched in his grand chair at the far end of the hall. He wore his hat tilted forward, which kept his face in shadows, and in his hand he held his gourd canteen, which he brought to his lips every few minutes. The smell of hard liquor was thick in the room, but no captains said anything about it. No one even dared to look at the Captain Commander, save Orihime and Nanao, both of whom stole concerned glances at the man whenever he took a swig.

"We'll wait for someone from Squad Eleven to show up," Kyoraku muttered after a lengthy silence. "I don't want to have to repeat myself, and we need every Division unified right now."

No one dared to oppose his ruling, nor ask for any elaboration, and so they waited with bated breath for someone, anyone, to show up and represent Squad Eleven. Orihime went back to staring at each of the captains, wishing she could replicate the colors of their spiritual powers. They would make the most beautiful color schemes for a painting.

But then, without warning, an arrancar's spiritual pressure tainted her senses. Almost instinctually, her hackles were raised- a bitter memento of her time as a prisoner of war in the care of Aizen and his Espada- and she hugged herself tightly as Uryu put a protective arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. All the captains in the room drew their zanpakuto with a great clamor of steel being drawn from a multitude of sheathes, and turned to face the intruder that had appeared in their midst.

"Everyone stand down," Byakuya commanded, not looking surprised in the slightest to see the hollow.

Starrk, the former Primera Espada, stood in the center of the room. He stared straight ahead, at the slouched figure in the Commander's seat, and though he showed no outward aggression, Orihime could feel dark, putrid hatred rising within the arrancar's spiritual pressure. She had only ever felt such bitter resentment from… from Ichigo, when he hollowfied. At least when it happened to Ichigo, though, he showed his anger. The arrancar before her did no such thing. The anger within him was like a category five hurricane in a fragile glass jar, but he looked absolutely blasé, if not bored out of his mind.

That was when a young, shrill, girly voice called out, "Yeah, everyone stand down!"

At once, the assembled captains had to do a double take. Sitting on the arrancar's shoulders, her fists planted on her hips, was Yachiru Kusajishi, the long lost lieutenant of the Eleventh Division. The absurdity of the situation was forgotten as the sharp difference in these two people came to light. On one hand, there was Starrk, an arrancar who looked worse for wear. In the year since the destruction of Yhwach, he seemed to have aged poorly. His gaunt face seemed even paler, his high cheekbones protruding from his slender face, and his neatly trimmed goatee now overgrown.

Yachiru, on the other hand, looked like she hadn't aged a day. Her shihakusho was as black and clean as it had been the day she disappeared. There were no signs that any time had passed. Even her demeanor remained unchanged.

"Lieutenant Yachiru of the Eleventh Division, reporting in!" She put a hand to her head in salute.

Kyoraku looked up, and his vision swam unpleasantly. It was a good thing he was sitting, otherwise he may very well have keeled over. He blinked the fog from his good eye and scanned the room, finally coming to a rest on Yachiru, and her newest companion.

"I know you," muttered Kyoraku, staring intently at the arrancar. "I cut you down… during the battle for the fake Karakura Town… what brings you here, now?"

The Captain Commander took another swig from his gourd, earning another pair reproachful looks from Orihime and Nanao. The fact that he could remain so calm was as reassuring as it was terrifying. Was the Captain Commander completely grasping the gravity of the situation? A Vasto Lorde had just appeared in the middle of a hall full of soul reaper captains… or did the Commander simply think it was a ghost of his past?

"You look like the last year and a half was unkind to you," Starrk clipped. "Did you lose an eye trying to put in your hairpins or something?"

The Captain Commander smirked, sinking a little lower into his chair. "Or something…"

Starrk's hands were unclenched, his stance was ill fit for battle. He looked as relaxed and untroubled as one possibly could be, but Orihime knew better. She could feel the hatred bubbling to the surface, feel the darkness behind that unwavering mask of calm. Apparently the other captains could feel it as well, and she could see several of them tightening their grasps of the hilts of their blades.

"I've wondered what I would do to you when I next found you," the hollow said carelessly. "I thought I might kill you, or perhaps kill someone you held dear, just as you killed my Lilynette."

Kyoraku raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"It is. Or rather, it was. Certain circumstances have forced me to change my plans."

Yachiru nodded, still seated on the arrancar's shoulders. "Kenny and Coyote are best friends!"

The Captain Commander went to take another swig of his liquor when Nanao, who stood at his other side, snatched the gourd away. He let loose a sigh.

"I'm afraid your anger is misplaced," Kyoraku shook his head, before adding under his breath, "which seems to be the general state of things, lately."

"Oh, so I suppose the Quincies came back from the dead while I was gone and slaughtered the majority of the Espada?" Starrk asked, a slight hint of irritation in his voice.

"Aha!" Kyoraku let loose a bark of laughter, only to be lost in his mirth for a few moments. "Ahahahahaa! Y'know, you're not too far from the truth; the Quincy did indeed return after the Seireitei dealt with Aizen's insurrection, but that's another matter entirely. You want to know why the Thirteen Court Guard Squads killed the Espada? It's because you attacked Karakura Town, and it is our job to defend it from spiritual threats. It seems to me that the fault lies with the Espada for launching an invasion, but who was it that made you do that? Who was it that united you all into an army to be thrown against the Gotei 13 as fodder? If you ask me, Espada Number One, your retribution should be delivered on none other than Sosuke Aizen."

Starrk grit his teeth, biting back a growl as he prepared to counter the Captain Commander's point. Then, he felt two painfully sharp heels dig into his pectorals.

"Hey," Yachiru whispered, "you ok, Starrk? You seem upset."

 _'Why shouldn't I be upset?!'_ Was what he desperately wanted to say. He yearned to storm and rage at the Captain Commander, who remained as cool and collected as ever. Coyote wanted to take vengeance for Lilynette, and for the lives of his comrades, the Espada. But more than anything, he wanted to simply laugh.

The situation could not have been more grim, but Starrk found it highly amusing. Here he was, in enemy territory, surrounded by the most powerful leaders of his sworn enemies, but he could not fight. The only thing keeping them from attacking was his good will, and his alliance with Kenpachi. Just thinking about the soul reaper captain seemed to give Starrk a splitting headache. He was so different from his cohorts; so rough and tumble, compared to these prim and proper captains. Kenpachi had gone against his nature, and drawn knowledge from any source he could just to be reunited with Yachiru. If Starrk could not do the same by remaining in control while in the midst of his enemies, he was no better than your garden variety gillian.

"Let's just get this over with," the arrancar mumbled.

And with that, he took his position in the only available space, as all others were filled. The only captains missing at that moment were Kenpachi Zaraki, who was frozen, and Jushiro Ukitake, who had long since passed. In place of the deceased captain, third seat of the Thirteenth Division, Sentaru Kotsubaki, stood with a notepad, trying and failing to match the tall, straight backed postures of the other members of the assembly. The absence of a white haori, however, made him stick out like a sore thumb. Even Starrk was wearing white, and he was an arrancar!

"Now that every squad is accounted for, it's time we begin this meeting," Kyoraku intoned, rising from his seat and stepping forward. "Ladies and gentleman, allow me to reintroduce Lord Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku, ruler of the Kamisaigaiku clan and Ward to the Spirit King."

From outside the assembly hall, the sound of quiet footsteps could be heard by the captains. Each of them was on high alert, and the silence that fell in the wake of hearing those footsteps was absolute. The only sign that Starrk noticed or cared was the slightly annoyed frown that he wore.

And then, the doors to the hall slid open.

"Hello, everyone," Lord Kamisaigaiku said, sounding quite jovial, "it's a pleasure to see you all once again."

At the end of the hall, dressed in a star spangled navy shihakusho, was Sosuke Aizen. Soifon slowly reached around her back to lay her hand on her zanpakuto, but the bead of sweat that traced a salty line from her temple to her chin betrayed her fear. Poor Sentaru almost wet himself, as he was standing very close to the man.

"I-I-It's the former Captain of Squad Five," the third seat said loudly, pointing a finger at the nobleman. "Sosuke Aizen!"

Toshiro HItsugaya could not tear his eyes from the man in the doorway. That cold, calculating smile was just as he remembered it, though it did seem a little different. No doubt spending time locked up for so long would warp anyone's personality. But that did not matter to Captain Hitsugaya. His breaths came in sharp, ragged gasps as he witnessed the long list of Aizen's treacheries all over again.

Momo… poor Momo was head over heels in love with her captain. She went to him for advice, looked up to him, cared for him. And how was she repaid? With a sword in her gut and a heart that hurt like it had been torn from her chest, beaten like a piñata, and then ungraciously stuffed back into place.

Toshiro stepped out of line, reaching up over his shoulder and drawing Hyorinmaru, but he did not register it. It was muscle memory, triggered by the reappearance of the man Toshiro Hitsugaya hated more than anyone. He could remember all the time he'd spent at Momo's bedside, praying that she would recover. He remembered the dead, lifeless look in her eyes when she had finally come to, as if the ghost of her captain's betrayal would haunt her forever. He remembered fighting Aizen over Karakura town, and how he'd been deceived into thinking Momo was Aizen. That time, he had been the one to do the deed. He had hurt Momo, betrayed her just like Aizen, and seen the spark leave her eyes all over again as her blood had washed over his hands.

"How dare you show your face here?" Toshiro snarled, stepping towards the man.

Kamisaigaiku held still, though his smile was gone. Was that fear? No, Aizen would never show fear… it had to have been a trick, a ploy to provoke him. There was no way….

The Squad Ten Captain moved so quickly that his blade was not even six inches from the nobleman's skin before he was halted in his tracks. On his right, Byakuya had seized his sword arm, which was raised to strike. On his left, Shinji had grasped his other arm, and both were fighting like hell to keep him back. Toshiro felt a tugging at his waist, and looked down to see Rose's whip coiled around his midriff.

"Control yourself, Captain HItsugaya," the Sixth Division captain commanded coldly.

That seemed to snap Toshiro out of it. Up until that moment, he'd been acting without thinking. Seeing Aizen's face had driven him into a madness he could not break. It did not matter that he had nearly been killed the last time he fought the monster that was the traitorous captain. He did not fear death, he had only wanted one thing: to avenge Momo, to free her from her torment, and give her the peace she so deserved. All of these things could only be achieved if Aizen were dead.

But then something strange happened. Aizen stepped forward, and Toshiro felt the Shinji and Byakuya grow stiff on either side of him. It was comforting to think that he was not the only one so affected by the reappearance of their old enemy, but this still begged the question: why the hell was he here?

"I must apologize," Aizen bowed to Toshiro. "I was told that my presence would be off putting, but I had no idea the extent of the damage done by Sosuke Aizen would be cause for such animosity."

That was when the gears in Toshiro's head began to turn once again. He remembered Ichigo's words, and how he had spoke of Kamisaigaiku, and an impostor. Toshiro was affected by the powers of the Kyoka Suigetsu, just like all the other captains… so was it not working? What was going on?

But then he realized that there was no way Aizen would ever bow to him. Not even if he were just playing a part. No, this was most definitely not the traitor.

"We found Lord Kamisaigaiku locked away in Aizen's prison cell," Kyoraku announced. "Aizen managed to switch places with him during a scheduled visit."

Toshiro shrugged off the arms of his fellow captains, and looked at the man before him with his heart instead of his eyes. He had a reiatsu the color of an emerald, and a spiritual signature all his own. All the little differences that had seemed unimportant were now like great flags of contrast. From the way he carried himself to the most minute facial expressions, there was no doubt that this was not Aizen. He may have looked and sounded just like him, but that was just the power of the Kyoka Suigetsu.

"And I thank you for releasing me," Kamisaigaku beamed cheerfully, "I'm not really accustomed to such… strict accommodations."

His playful quip was lost upon the captains. Each of them were so stunned, still busy processing the meaning of this new information, that a joke seemed to just fly over their heads.

"Erm… right. In any case, I was questioning the former captain about his role in the death of Juha Bach, otherwise known as Yhwach the Almighty, when he produced the hilt of a sword. The next thing I knew, I was locked in the chair, unable to move, and my spirit energy was being drained away."

"So Aizen switched places with you during this visit?" Byakuya didn't ask so much as aim the question.

"Yes, that seems to be the case," Kamisaigaiku admitted, clasping his hands behind his back. "He must be quite the strategist, this Sosuke Aizen. For someone to get the better of me so easily is… unprecedented."

"That is nothing to be ashamed of," Byakuya brushed aside the comment. "But I must ask, did you intend to marry Rukia Kuchiki? Precisely when did you two switch places?"

"M-Marry? Goodness, no! I'm a bachelor, Lord Kuchiki! I could never get married! My mistresses would be most furious with me!"

If Kamisaigaiku was joking, he had a poker face that rivalled Aizen's. That did not stop Byakuya's head from spinning like a top as he was forced to come to grips with reality.

 _'Aizen was the one who took an interest in Rukia,'_ he thought. _'He was going to marry her, but why would he…'_

The only logical explanation settled in Byakuya's mind less like a comforting thought and more like a fish hook lodged in his cranium.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," he mumbled.

Kamisaigaiku perked up at once. "That's the name of the man who single handedly unraveled this deception, and subsequently saved me from my imprisonment. Speaking of, when do I get to meet him? From all I've heard, he seems to be at the heart of all this."

Soifon stepped forward. While the noble's physical form was a grim reminder of her traumatic loss at Karakura town, embarrassment was the frontrunner of her emotions at the moment. "That may be difficult, sir. You see… we were under the impression that Ichigo Kurosaki had gone rogue. We didn't know anything about this plot until just now. Ichigo is currently on the run, and probably has no intentions of being found. Not as long as Yoruichi has a hand in this."

"Which is precisely why I called this meeting," Kyoraku said. "Ichigo is henceforth cleared of all charges against him, and is to be considered our first priority. If anyone finds him, he's to be briefed and brought back here. He's the only one who can go up against Aizen in a fair fight."

The nobleman scratched at his chin. "So I was correct in my assumption, then. Ichigo Kurosaki is right in the thick of it, and now, apparently, he's the only person who can fight against Sosuke Aizen."

Uryu shook his head. "You have no idea. I think it's time we filled you in on our friend Ichigo, and how he likes to cause trouble wherever he goes."

Orihime playfully elbowed Uryu, but her stifled grin dulled the pain like cold water on a burn. From the looks on the other captains' faces, it seemed that they mirrored Uryu's sentiment. Wherever he went, Ichigo Kurasaki was bound to cause trouble.

* * *

The sun had risen on a cool, cloudy new day. The trees around the Shihouin Training facility rustled in a gentle breeze, spilling dew on unwary bystanders who stood in one spot for too long. The pervading chill of the pre-dawn kept the songbirds quiet, and the quickly descending fog cascaded over the crags like a giant waterfall made of clouds. The thunderous roars of the actual waterfall seemed to do the scene justice.

Ichigo sat on the edge of the cliffs, lost in thought as he gazed at the soft, fluffy clouds that tumbled over the edge. He was so tired that he almost wished the clouds were solid and had substance, so that he might tumble over the edge with them and fall into their comforting embrace.

He shook himself. He was tired, and sore, and no amount of healing kido could match a good night's sleep and some hot food in his belly. Thinking about jumping over the falls to land on clouds was exactly the sort of thing that would get him called a fool by Rukia. Then she'd probably throttle him.

Ever since he'd awakened to find himself laid out in the small healing center, watched over by an overly upbeat Kisuke Urahara, Rukia had been making her displeasure at their situation known in every way possible.

He had tried to sit next to Rukia, Chad, and Karin in the mess hall to have some breakfast when the soul reaper had shot him a venomous look that chilled his blood. The message had been clear: 'I'm still mad at you, and sitting down will result in consequences that you will not be walking away from.'

As a result, Ichigo had tossed his food into the trash and made his way outside. Even now, he could hear Rukia talking with Chad and Karin, sounding much like she always did. To have her so close was comforting, in a sense. At least he knew she was safe here, far from Aizen's clutches, but it did nothing to help his mood. She might as well have been lost to him again, just as she was after he'd used the Final Getsuga and lost his spirit powers. Sure, he knew she was there, but it was like she was disappearing before his eyes all over again.

"Think fast, Ichigo," someone called out.

From behind the contemplative substitute soul reaper, Rukia had appeared. She threw an apple at the back of Ichigo's head, only to blink when it stopped in midair.

"What the-"

"It's a Fullbring," Ichigo said. The apple gently floated around his head, before dropping into his outstretched hand.

Rukia took a seat next to Ichigo. "You've been training with Chad to regain your Fullbring?"

"And with Yoruichi on my hakuda and hoho, and with Kisuke on my kido and swordplay. My Fullbring was never really gone… just weakened. It's taken some time, but I'm getting the hang of it again." He paused to stare into the dark crimson of the apple in his hands. His stomach rumbled, and the redhead blushed before taking a large, crunching bite from the fruit. It wasn't so much a meal as it was a peace offering, and the knot in his stomach dissipated with each bite he took.

"So how does that work?" Rukia wondered, crossing her ankles. "I've seen Chad use his, but I've never really been told how it works."

Ichigo swallowed and thumped his chest before responding. "It's like communication, I guess. I use my soul to contact the soul of the apple, and it responds. By sending my soul into inanimate objects, I can move them around, and depending on the object, and the soul within it, I can control it to some extent. Usually you have to have a significant connection with an object to manifest a true Fullbring, but it works on almost anything, with enough practice."

"So even something as simple as a rock could manifest a Fullbring?" Rukia sounded skeptical, like Ichigo had just told her the sky was green. It reminded him of how he felt when he first heard about it. He laughed, and the sound made Rukia giddy, like she'd been injected with adrenaline. It wasn't often that Ichigo laughed like that, and it was nice to hear.

"It'd have to be a pretty damn special rock to manifest a true Fullbring," he chuckled. "But just to move one… that's child's play."

Ichigo held out a hand, and from over the edge of the falls, Rukia felt a strange force. She could almost see Ichigo's azure spirit reaching out and connecting with something below the layer of fog that obscured the forest and the falls far below. The fog swirled, and from within its cloudy embrace rose a speck of darkness.

It came to a rest hovering over Ichigo's hands, and Rukia couldn't help but be impressed. It was a stone, still slick with moisture and algae, and rubbed smooth from countless ages spent underwater. By all accounts, it was just a plain rock, but the way Ichigo had summoned it from so far away was beyond belief.

"Incredible," she said, letting Ichigo drop the stone in her outstretched hands so that she might feel it.

"Not really. It's just a Fullbring. But I guess it has its uses."

He slouched, and Rukia tore her gaze from the stone in her hands to look at the man beside her.

His hair was disheveled, messy, and overlong, but it made him seem like a different person. Compared to the Ichigo she remembered from the world of the living, this one seemed calmer, more at peace, more level headed. He was also immensely tired; it showed in the darkness beneath his eyes, and in the way he struggled to keep his eyes open. Somehow, he looked even more handsome like this. His body was worn down, and his bare chest was covered in bandages from all the fighting he'd done, but from what she could see of his bare skin, he was in even better shape than he had been before. His muscles bulged and rippled with the slightest movement. His hands were bandaged as well, though one was completely wrapped, and still stiffly curled up, as though he couldn't completely unclench his fist.

"I'm fine," Ichigo rolled his eyes, taking her prolonged stare as concern instead of the subtle ogling it truly was.

 _'Yes, you most certainly are,'_ a small, mischievous voice in her head agreed.

Ichigo turned to find Rukia looking out over the cliffs, gently gnawing her lower lip. A red sun was rising, and Rukia sincerely hoped it helped to disguise the color rising to her face. It blistered the clouds of the morning with hues of pink and orange, spearing through the fog and driving it away. Soon the entirety of the Shihouin Training Facility with bathed in radiant golden rays of sunshine.

 _'He's growing stronger,'_ Rukia thought to herself, unable to suppress her melancholy. _'His control over his spiritual powers is incredible.'_

The sentiment was so bittersweet that Rukia almost felt stupid for being so mad at him. Sure, his hollow had taken on three hollow concubines… but that wasn't Ichigo. Or was it? Technically, the hollow was a manifestation of all of his negative aspects, amplified and given form. A part of the hollow was Ichigo, and vice versa, and yet she was so busy being angry about something that he had no conscious control over that she almost hadn't noticed how much he had grown in just a few short days. His Fullbring was improving phenomenally, and his powers were beginning to be tempered with the wisdom and experience that only came from patience and understanding.

"Rukia, you've been talking to Karin and Chad."

"I have."

He shuffled uncomfortably next to her. "Then you know about my plans to beat Aizen."

"You intend to sacrifice yourself," she said softly. "Using something called the Lethal Getsuga."

"Yeah."

"I thought it sounded a bit strange for you, honestly. I mean, why would you do something so stupid?"

He scratched the back of his head, but would not meet Rukia's eyes. "You know why."

At once, the soul reaper's heart began to beat like a war drum. Anger shot through her, and the temperature of the air around them seemed to drop twenty degrees in a millisecond, though Rukia felt a fire burning in her chest.

"You're going to tell me," she mumbled coldly, her voice icier than her steely gaze, "that you're going to throw your life away because you love me? That isn't love, Ichigo."

Ichigo turned to stare at her, but he did not look scared, or angry. On the contrary his eyes were filled with a fierce determination, and Rukia felt her pulse flutter wildly as the heart in her chest forced blood through her body and into her face.

"No, Rukia, I'm not throwing my life away as a sign of love. Call me what you like, I'm not an idiot. I'm doing this because a certain soul reaper once taught me that duty comes before how we may feel. She told me that soul reapers never back down from a fight, and that each one embraces their own mortality so that the Soul Society may yet survive another day. I'm not just doing this for you. This is for everyone. My family. My friends. I'd give everything I have and more just to make sure this world is a place you can all live in and be happy, because that's the duty of a soul reaper. That's why I'm choosing to use the Lethal Getsuga; because the only way for there to be peace is if Aizen is dead and gone. Otherwise, he'll come back, and he'll destroy everything."

Rukia's anger faded and died as the heat that touched her face grew overwhelming. Ichigo wasn't a fool after all. Not only that, but he'd remembered all she had told him about soul reaper culture. He had carried it with him, that sense of pride and honor that the Gotei Thirteen cultivated and grew within its members. Sure, his ability and willingness to follow the rules were both somewhat tenuous, but his heart was in the right place. He had fought against Ginjo, another substitute soul reaper, whom had been so twisted in his anger that he'd forgotten what being a shinigami was all about. Ichigo had never forgotten though, and when he threw Rukia's own words and ideals back in her face, it was like she'd been doused with water. It woke her up, and her vision went double. In one eye was Ichigo when he was young; a headstrong substitute soul reaper who let nothing stand in the way of him rescuing his friends. In the other eye was the Ichigo sitting before her; older, wiser, more critical in his thinking. His calm face was plastered with a grim resolution that hurt to look at. It made Rukia's heart ache to think that he had come to grips with his own death, and only because of what she had taught him.

"Ichigo…" The tears rolled down her face like droplets of silver in the golden sun. She wrapped her arms around him, pinning his own to his sides, and before he knew it, the petite shinigami was quietly crying into his chest.

"You're making a mess of my bandages," he teased with a half-smile, pulling a sore, stiff arm from her grip and wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Y-you damned f-fool," Rukia choked through her sobs. "I-I hate you so much... p-please don't d-do this."

Ichigo pulled away, and Rukia stared pleadingly into his eyes. As angry as she might have been at their surprise marriage, as irate as she had been to learn of his hollow's indiscretions, she couldn't bear the thought of Ichigo dying. There had to be another way, something she could do to help him, a way to make him stronger… but she knew his answer before he even spoke, just from the look in his eyes.

"I wish there were another way," the substitute shinigami mumbled. "I wish we had more time."

"We've got time," Rukia told him, "we'll figure something out. I promise."

"I don't think so," Ichigo muttered, taking one of Rukia's hands in his own. "Nothing else will be enough. There's no other way."

"I won't give up," she insisted, squeezing his fingers gently. "I'll find something, I'll ask Urahara, there must be something we can do."

Their faces were so close now, and Rukia's raw, unabashed concern for Ichigo was touching. He'd never felt so close to someone, and sitting on this ledge next to her made it feel like they were the only two people in existence. Something rose up within him, then; a strange, foreign force he'd never felt before, a spirit of desire and want so strong that he felt himself tingle with unfamiliar energy as Rukia stared intently into his eyes.

"Ichigo?"

"Rukia." He laid a hand on her face, gently cupping her chin, and she pressed herself into his hand. Gently rubbing a bandaged thumb across her cheek, he felt a bundle of tension form in his gut. It was like a loaded gun, and his physical contact with Rukia was like a trigger that yearned to be pulled.

 _'Go for it,_ ' muttered a familiar voice from within. ' _Don't hold back, there's nothing to lose._ '

"Are you alright? You're freezing," Rukia crooned, pulling herself right up against Ichigo so that their bodies were pressed together. His breathing was harsh and unsteady. His pulse was quickening. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was having a heart attack. His chocolatey brown eyes flashed in the sunlight, looking almost golden. No, it must have been a trick of the light.

"Rukia…."

Ichigo brought himself forward. Their foreheads touched, but Ichigo did not kiss her. A simple kiss on the lips would not be enough. Her breath was hot on his face, and so enticing. His mind was smooth and numb, like someone had filed his thoughts down into gentle nubs, making it difficult to concentrate. He fell forward, and Rukia was abruptly flat on her back, with Ichigo hovering over her. Their foreheads were still together, their bodies positively thrumming with an unquenchable fire as they prepared for fight or flight responses. Rukia's breathing hitched, and she looked timid, unsure. Ichigo couldn't blame her. He was scared senseless, but something bid him to keep going. It guided his hand to the collar of her shihakusho, which she had donned in place of her kimono.

"I-Ichigo," her voice was quiet, yet powerful. It washed over him like waves, driving him mad with longing. She wanted this, he could hear it. The way she blushed, the way she made no effort to escape him. It was all coming together. He could feel excitement in her soul, building up to a crescendo. It longed to be closer to his soul, to feel wanted, and he was oh so willing to provide all this and more.

"Yeah?"

"What are we doing?"

"I… I don't know…"

 _'She's all ours, Ichigo. Dig in.'_

Ichigo's eyes went wide, and Rukia saw it again; the telltale flash of amber in his irises. Inky darkness began to creep inward from the corners of his eyes.

Rukia began to shake beneath Ichigo, and she looked terrified. Her soul seemed to flinch, pulling back from the connection that had been deeper than anything the two of them had ever felt before. "Your hollow… Ichigo, it's-"

"My… hollow?"

 _'Ignore her,'_ the voice seethed, _'don't let this opportunity go to waste, Ichigo. You're married, right? What are you waiting for?!'_

"Hrngh." He couldn't contain the rumbling in his throat as he fought off the influence of White. His eyes seemed to flicker back and forth between glowing golden and soft brown. He pushed himself off of Rukia, letting go of her collar, which he'd been a moment away from pulling down from her neck, exposing the pale flesh of shoulder.

"I…won't… do it." Ichigo growled, clutching his head in his hands. "Get back… in your… cage."

Rukia sat up as quick as lightning, putting a hand on the hilt of her sword, which was once again strapped to her waist. Ichigo convulsed, and Rukia could hear the hiss of the hollow's laughter.

 _'As you wish, but remember, Ichigo, I'm so close to the surface I may as well be just beneath your skin. You can't blame me for pushing you in the right direction, especially when I see such a golden opportunity.'_

"Enough," Ichigo's voice was a deep, insidious whisper that Rukia had never heard him use. It was callous and rough, and shook with rage that turned her blood to ice. Not even during their argument had he sounded so furious.

 _'Hehehehe, fine then. Until next time, Ichigo.'_

The feelings of desire and want vanished in an instant, leaving Ichigo tired and worn. His eyes hurt, his head hurt, and he was so ashamed of himself that he couldn't meet Rukia's eye. He didn't want to see the angry, frightened stare she was undoubtedly shooting at him. He didn't want to try and explain how close he was to doing the unthinkable, and how that wasn't really him.

 _'But it was me,'_ Ichigo thought. _'It's my hollow.'_

"Ichigo?"

He didn't respond. A gentle touch fell upon his shoulder before pulling him into a warm embrace. Rukia laid her head on his shoulder, and felt his body shake as the substitute soul reaper shivered.

"He was so close," Ichigo said. "The hollow… I was… I almost…."

Ichigo felt sick. Never in his wildest dreams would he think of unleashing something so foul to Rukia. The idea made him feel dirty, disgusted. And yet in the moments before, where the hollow hadn't been so insistent, everything had felt so right. The connection between his soul and Rukia's had been unfathomably deep, to the point where, for a moment, he'd forgotten where his soul began and hers ended.

"But you didn't, Ichigo. You fought him, because you knew it wasn't right."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that I almost-"

He broke off when Rukia turned his head and pressed her lips against his. At once, his fear, his frustrations, his pain, and his guilt were washed away amidst a flood of warmth and happiness. He tried to pull away, but Rukia followed after him, keeping their lips locked together as she leaned into him so powerfully that he had to put a hand behind him to stop from falling over.

"Mmm," Rukia moaned into the kiss, and gently put her hand onto Ichigo's midsection. She chuckled into Ichigo's lips when she felt him grow tense, and then gently slipped her hand down even further, until it was at his navel.

It was only after Ichigo's arm buckled and he ended up on his back that Rukia let the kiss fail. She looked deeply into his eyes, tucking her hair that fell into his face behind her ear.

"In case you were wondering," she said sweetly, "that means I forgive you. You're a good person, Ichigo. We'll find a way to contain your hollow, and we'll find a way to defeat Aizen. And seeing as I'm your wife, I'll be there to help you every step of the way, just like always."

Ichigo swallowed hard past the lump that had grown in his esophagus. The sun was arrayed behind Rukia's head, making it look like she was crowned with a halo of sunlight. Her raven hair was silky smooth, and tickled his nostrils, but he didn't mind. She smelled like mint, and cinnamon, and her smile was as bright and beautiful as the morning itself.

The searching look she gave him was unending, and he only realized why when she wouldn't let him sit up. She wanted him to put on his brave face. She wanted to see him smile, and she was searching for it in earnest. It was cute in a way that was so annoyingly Rukia.

"Thanks," he said finally, smiling as he laid on the grass and savored the feeling of Rukia's body pressed against his own as the sun washed over them with its warm rays.

* * *

The extensive repairs of the Kuchiki Estate were well underway, but Kazue could not care less. The hollow that had possessed the substitute soul reaper had wounded his superior; the leader of the task force dedicated to protecting Lord Kamisaigaiku. Kenzou Kamisaigaiku, the right hand man of the clan's leader, was dying. And it was all Ichigo Kurosaki's fault.

The healers could only do so much. The reishi that made up everything in the Soul Society seemed to be negatively affected by the presence of the hollow that had ruined Lord Kamisaigaiku's wedding and stolen his bride. As a result, no matter what the healers did, the hole in Kenzou's chest did not heal, and every passing hour of agony brought him closer to death's door.

Kazue, the youngest member of the task force, paced the hallway outside Kenzou's room. Kenichi was too preoccupied with guarding Kamisaigaiku, saying that the hollow had attacked the clan leader with no eye for anyone else. That was an understatement, but Kazue could not stop himself from feeling angry at Kenichi. He should have been there, grieving for his friend. The task force was a team, a group of elites. They were supposed to live and die protecting the clan leader, and they had failed. Now they were scattered, with one on his deathbed, one left to stand guard over their liege, and one to mourn.

No, not mourn. Kazue could not mourn, he was a member of the elite guard of the Kamisaigaiku clan, a member of a group so covert and skilled that all of them were able to achieve bankai in less than ten years. He could not mourn. His pride would not allow it, nor would the anger raging in his heart.

As he paced the corridor outside Kenzou's room, he felt himself reverberate as he recalled those terrifying moments when he thought that he was seconds away from being destroyed by the hollow. Memories of a bleached white mask and horns, and a stark, bony grin made him flinch with every horrified recollection. He was grinding his teeth so thoroughly that it was amazing he had any left. His old wound- the one dealt to him by that bastard, Ichigo Kurosaki- throbbed with fiery flashes of agony. If only he'd been stronger, this never would have happened. Ichigo would have died in that field, and Kenzou would still be here.

"Damn it…." He stopped pacing, and sank his fist into the wall, cracking the wood. He froze, and for an instant, ice cold dread surged up his spine. Kazue thought he heard the rattling breath of the hollow behind him, but when he turned around, he saw nothing there. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned around once more to resume his agitated pacing, only to scream when he realized he was face to face with someone.

He fell backward with a startled cry, grasping for the hilt of his sword only to pause when he saw the face of Lord Kamisaigaiku.

"You are in great pain," the noble said. "You mourn the loss of your comrade, Kenzou."

"H-He's not dead yet, my lord," Kazue looked at the floor, embarrassed at having been so overwhelmed.

"I know, which only makes what I am about to say all the more important," Kamisaigaiku's smile was as calm and carefree as ever. For a moment, Kazue felt as though he didn't know his lord at all. Surely such a man would care about his subordinates? Was he just hiding his grief?

Kazue stood, and the noble put a hand upon his shoulder, leading him away from the door to Kenzou's room. "I know that you blame yourself for this. I can sense your guilt as clearly as I can sense Kenzou's anguish."

"I… I do feel guilty, sir. If I had only slain Ichigo Kurosaki earlier, none of this would have happened."

The hand on Kazue's shoulder twitched. "You are right, of course, but if you truly think you can defeat Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken. That man is not someone to be trifled with. He cannot be defeated through conventional means. His power grows by the day, and his allies are each fearsome in their own right. It would take someone of indomitable will and unshakeable fortitude to put an end to such a menace."

Kazue frowned slightly. "You've given this thought, sir?"

"I have, and I think you are the perfect person to help me. I have a plan to help you defeat Ichigo Kurosaki. It is dangerous, and the risks are not negligible. Would you hear it?"

Kazue stopped, and Kamisaigaiku's hand slipped from his shoulder. On one hand, vengeance could be his. All he had to do was take a risk, and believe in his master. Memories of the hollow still shook him to his core, but the thought of taking vengeance on that monster was sweeter than any honey. Blood would be repaid in blood, and Ichigo Kurosaki had a debt to be paid. The blonde man took a knee before Kamisaigaiku.

"What did you have in mind, my lord?"

Though Kazue did not see it, the grin that lit up Kamisaigaiku's face was nothing short of sadistic. Extending a hand to his guard, he pulled the young man to his feet and led him off down a dark corridor, explaining a plan that would give Kazue the power he needed to find and kill Ichigo Kurosaki.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **dun dun duuuuuuun**_

 _ **Sorry for the delay, guys. Between my responsibilities and my inability to come up with a decent plot to get me to where I need to go in this story, I haven't updated much. Writer's block is a bitch, and the boredom that usually let me come up with my ideas has been lacking. If this chapter seems a tad dry, let that shoddy explanation suffice.**_

 _ **Moving right along, Kenpachi and Coyote have their own flashback, Yachiru is Yachiru, Ichigo and Rukia almost do the dirty, and something about revenge right at the end. Bam. Plot summary experts, eat your hearts out. Oh, and sorry if that Ichigo/Rukia scene was a little rapey, I tried to rewrite it so it was a little less spicy for you easily triggered folks. There's always that one guy.**_

 _ **But yeah, sorry for being so busy, and sorry for the lame chapter. With any luck my schedule will be freeing up, and I'll have a bit more time to spend working on writing something worthwhile. Who knows, maybe I'll even get a chance to wrap this behemoth up before it gets any more out of hand.**_

 _ **Also, an another, sadder note, the english dub VA for Kisaku Urahara died not too long ago. I was gonna try to incorpporate a little tribute to him (I.E. show him being a BAMF) but this chapter is already way too long. So look forward to some Kisakue Urahara in the next episode.**_

 _ **Here's some music to listen to-**_

 _ **Cradles- Sub Urban (kinda chill in a lazy way. I dig it)**_

 _ **rsvp- sewerperson (sad shit lol)**_

 _ **Ghost-Mystery Skulls (because at heart, Bleach is essentially about good ghosts vs bad ghosts)**_

 _ **Happier-Bastille &Marshmello (i know its about a breakup but we could all stand to be a little happier)**_

 _ **Battle Cry- Imagine Dragons (good fight music)**_

 _ **Die Happy-Dreamers (Sort fit the moodm I guess)**_

 _ **That's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading, have a nice day.**_


	20. Meeting of the Monsters

The rest of the day passed quickly, and then the sun set over the Shihouin Training Facility. Long after the moon had risen, and the majority of the facility's denizens had finally succumbed to their exhaustion and fallen asleep, the monsters in their midst rose for their nightly communion.

As stealthily and silently as ghosts, the arrancars rose from the beds one by one, and made their way to the room shared by Neliel and Grimmjow. They moved without disturbing the peace, sweeping by the slumbering soul reapers without pause, until each of the Tres Bestia arrived at a door, behind which a quiet argument could be heard.

"We're here," Sung-Sun said quietly, making the people on the other side of the door fall silent.

After a few moments the door was wrenched open, revealing Grimmjow. The arrancar's eyes were glazed, and his sharp cheekbones were touched with color. He held a wine glass filled with blood red liquid in his other hand, which he used to beckon the Tres Bestias in.

Neliel was sitting on the bed, staring intently at the floor. She had reverted to her adult form, which earned her three individual scowls from Sung-Sun, Mila Rose, and Apacci, all of whom could not help but compare themselves to her. Not only was Neliel Odelschwank one of the most beautiful female arrancars around, she was incredibly powerful; much as Tier Hallibel had been before being executed by the Sternritter. This vague similarity to their old master, coupled with the obvious favor she received from Lord White, made her a threat to the consorts. Not that Neliel cared for their opinions of her beauty and prestige. In fact, she looked quite preoccupied, and her hands were twisting themselves into knots in her lap.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, closed the door and resumed his pacing back and forth in front of his bed on the other side of the room, only pausing his ranting to take long draughts from the goblet in his hand.

"As I was just saying, doing nothing has gotten us absolutely nowhere," he grumbled darkly. "And all these soul reapers make my skin crawl. I feel them watching me, I see them flinch whenever I move too fast. All this waiting around is beginning to grate on my nerves."

Apacci moved to stand by the flaming brazier in the center of the room, which was the only source of light, and kept it warm in the nighttime. It throbbed and pulsed with a life all its own, deepening the scowls of everyone present as it darkened the lines of their faces.

"I have to agree," she told the room at large. "Waiting around for Lord White to show himself puts us all in danger. We are surrounded by our natural enemies, and hopelessly outnumbered. I think we should speed things up."

"And what exactly would you have us do?" asked Neliel sharply.

Apacci turned to look pointedly at the woman on the bed, who was now eyeing her with mistrust. "Kill Kurosaki. Free Lord White from his prison, as any other of his _loyal_ vassals would not hesitate to do, and let us return to Los Noches."

There was a loud silence that followed, in which all eyes were upon Neliel, waiting to see if she would react to Apacci's verbal prodding. Instead, the arrancar shook her head, and wove her fingers together, as if in prayer. " _This_ is why you are a consort, and not one of Lord White's ministers. If you thought about it for more than two seconds, you'd realize that Ichigo is far too powerful to be killed, especially by someone like you."

"And even if you managed to draw out Lord White before he died, what do you think he would do if he found you attacking his vessel?" Grimmjow plied, shooting Apacci a condescending glare. "He would destroy you first and ask questions later. He would see you as a traitor, and tear you into itty bitty pieces in his ire."

"Then what would you have us do?" Sung-Sun asked, obscuring her mouth with her sleeve. "Nothing?"

Apacci gnashed her teeth, but the sting to her pride was evident from the red that rose from her collar. "I, for one, refuse to babysit that substitute soul reaper as he trains to become more powerful and cavorts with that floozy of a woman!"

Neliel shot Apacci an indignant glare, "That's his wife."

The consort merely waved off the comment. "Same thing."

The sound of breaking glass was loud, and everyone jumped. Grimmjow had gripped his glass too tightly, shattering it in his hand, and now rivulets of dark blood dripped from the mangled mess. He shook with poorly restrained fury, and bared his teeth like a panther that had been backed into a corner.

"We _cannot_ just do nothing," he growled in the back of his throat.

Neliel was on her feet so fast that everyone in the room grew eerily still, watching her like sheep watched a wolf prowling in the distance. Neliel, while still somewhat childish in her demeanor, was also the most powerful arrancar there, and second in command to Lord White.

She moved with such easy grace that she had passed by the Tres Bestias before any of them had the chance to notice, coming to a stop before Grimmjow. The man blanched, terrified he had somehow incurred the ranking arrancar's wrath when she took his hand and dragged him downward, towards the floor. Her eyes were wide at the site of the blood on his hand, and they kneeled together on the carpet as Neliel began to work like a woman possessed.

She cleaned the wound, pulled the shards of glass from his hand, and then cauterized the injury with a mild cero. It was rough work, something that would no doubt leave a scar, but it was unmistakably a skill born of dire necessity during her long tenure as an outcast in Hueco Mundo.

When she was finished, she held Grimmjow's hand in both of her own, her eyes closed as the gears in her head turned. The way her hair fell into her face was beautiful, and conjured desires within Grimmjow that he did not often feel. For a single moment, he was sorely tempted to try and win Neliel over. She'd been a powerful Espada before being betrayed, and even now possessed a compassion that separated her from most of the cynical, cruel arrancars of Hueco Mundo. He wanted her to become his mate, but he knew it would do no good. After all, she was far too powerful to be tamed, even for the likes of him. If the two of them were together, he would most assuredly be killed in the process of mating, accidentally or purposefully. Female arrancars were like black widow spiders in that regard.

 _'Losing your life would be a small price to pay for having a mate like her,_ ' a small voice in his head muttered to him.

"I am in charge here," Neliel stated, just loud enough for all to hear, "and as such, the protection of each and every one of you is my priority, second only to our mission to return Lord White to Los Noches. But for the time being, I'm afraid nothing is all we can do. Ichigo is a good person, and we cannot hurt him to draw out the master. Even if you do not care for soul reapers, Ichigo is deserving of your respect. He is the only reason we are still alive to this day. Where would we be if the substitute soul reaper had not come into our lives?"

Apacci snorted derisively, crossing her arms and turning away from Neliel. Mila Rose stared hard at the floor, her eyebrows scrunched up. Sung-Sun then said aloud what they were all thinking. "Without the substitute soul reaper, we'd all have died a long time ago. Whether by Aizen, or by the Almighty."

Judging from the way Apacci's jaw was clenched, Grimmjow could tell she was very close to yelling. Neliel, on the other hand, looked brow beaten and tired.

"You all have your orders. Keep your eyes open, your mouths shut, and don't do anything stupid," Grimmjow muttered. "Dismissed."

And that was when the meeting of the monsters officially ended. Neliel was slow to anger, and more gentle in her rule than Grimmjow, making her the perfect minister. He, on the other hand, was the muscle without restraint. If he was not obeyed immediately, the first time he gave an order, there was hell to pay. This is why he was selected to be Lord White's general.

The Tres Bestias all filed out of the room, saying nothing until they were well out of earshot of their superiors, leaving Grimmjow and Neliel kneeling on the floor, their hands still clasped in a grip that grew warmer by the second.

"Am I making a mistake, Grimmjow?" Neliel whispered when the others were gone. "Am I leading them to their doom?"

"Even if you were, they are beneath you," he said carelessly. "They knew the risks. You shouldn't waste your time worrying about people who would see you torn limb from limb."

Her hands began to shake. "And what of Ichigo? I hear the things they say, about how I betrayed my kind when I led him into Los Noches to rescue his friend. They say I am a friend to the soul reapers, a traitor."

Grimmjow put his uninjured hand upon Neliel's shoulder, which was trembling. When she looked up, he saw that she was overcome with emotion, and lines of silver traced down her face.

"Traitor or not, they owe you their respect, and their unwavering allegiance. White chose you because you care; which is something I've never seen another arrancar do. They're lucky to follow you, and for the record, I think you're right. Even if they tried to kill Ichigo, it would only do more harm than good."

"I… still consider him a friend," she admitted. "Does that make me a traitor? Grimmjow… am I unfit to lead?"

"Heh, if having a shinigami friend makes you a traitor, then I'm one, too. We helped that crazy son of a bitch save the world, remember? Even if we are natural enemies, Ichigo is one guy I don't think I could ever kill. I owe him my life, and so does everyone else… whether they care to admit it or not."

Grimmjow paused, his eyes wide in disbelief as Neliel threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly, causing his heart to flutter in such a way he'd never felt before.

"Thank you, Grimmjow!" she said happily, though the tears still streamed down her face. "I knew that if anyone would understand it would be you!"

"T-tone it down," he spluttered. "I don't want everyone to know I have feelings. I have a reputation to maintain, you know."

"Don't care," she laughed, squeezing him even more tightly.

In the end, he put his arms around her as well, and contemplated the strange fate that he would find one thing on his life that he desired to protect instead of destroy.

* * *

Not long after the arrancars had slipped back into their beds, in the wee hours of early morning, Rukia and Ichigo were both curled up in a sleeping bag on the floor of a guest room. Down the hall, Karin and the Tres Bestias were all bunked together. Not a long way off, if one listened closely, one could hear giggling and hastily stifled moans of ecstasy from the master chambers, which were being shared by Yoruichi and Urahara.

But where some people were sleeping soundly, and others weren't sleeping at all, one person amongst this ragtag group of rebellious individuals and outcasts was unable to find the rest she sought, as horrible nightmares kept her on the brink of wakefulness.

* * *

 _Rukia and Ichigo were standing together at the altar, and the noblewoman had never been so happy. Her heart throbbed painfully as Ichigo said his vows, swearing on his life to protect her, no matter what. Uproarious cheering rose from the crowd in the pews, and Rukia smiled bashfully. Ichigo lifted her veil, staring at her intently with those deep, brown eyes that were so full of love that she was sure this was the right thing to do._

 _"You may now kiss the bride." The man beside the couple said._

 _At once, the noise from the crowd was silenced._

 _Rukia turned, only to discover that every guest had been slaughtered in their seats. She saw members of Ichigo's family, his sisters, laying in their pews, covered in blood. She saw Byakuya, pinned into his seat with his own sword. Everyone stared at her blankly with unseeing eyes as bile rose in her throat. A loud clap broke the silence, startling Rukia out of her shell-shocked observation._

 _Aizen was sitting comfortably in a pew between Renji, whom had been bifurcated, and the Captain Commander, whose throat was a gory mess of blood and rendered flesh. He clapped slowly, staring at Rukia with eyes that were as softly terrifying as she remembered. His cruel smile was just as impassive and unfeeling as ever, but it slowly faded away until she wished he were smiling. The look of casual disinterest he shot her was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and put a knot in the pit of her stomach._

 _"Let this be a lesson to you," the traitorous captain said quietly. "You may now kiss the bride, Ichigo."_

 _Rukia's eyes widened as she heard a resounding, beastly growl right next to her. Looking at her husband, whom she had been clinging too for support, she found that his face had changed, turning into that of his masked hollow. His orange hair was long and wild, his eyes were golden and glowing, and his teeth were sharp. Rukia pulled away from him, but he was too strong. As he pulled her closer, his mouth widening, his jaws unhinging, Rukia screamed in terror. Then they snapped shut right over her face, and the world went black._

* * *

"WAAAAH!" she sat up with a stifled cry as she unsheathed her sword. The blade steamed in the warmth of the room she was in, which had dropped ten degrees the instant she'd drawn it.

There was no one there aside from herself and Ichigo, and try though she might, she couldn't seem to forget her nightmares. It had felt so real, and how something so sweet and beautiful had turned sour was perplexing for the noblewoman.

A figure beside her shifted, and Ichigo emerged from within the bundle of blankets he and Rukia had been snuggled up in.

"Wassamatter?" he groaned. Upon seeing Rukia's sword and the tears that stained her face, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, looking around carefully. His powerful spirit energy intensified, and Rukia could feel him scanning their surroundings with his reiryoku.

"There's no one else around," he said carefully. "You alright, Rukia?"

"I had a nightmare."

"About what?"

"Nothing." Rukia slid the blade of her sword back into its sheathe with a loud click before setting it aside and pulling a pillow to her chest.

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"No."

For just a moment, he thought about harassing Rukia until she decided to come clean, but something stopped him. If she didn't want to talk about something to him, then there was a good chance he was at the heart of it.

 _'That would certainly explain why she won't look at me,'_ he realized bitterly.

Sliding closer to Rukia, Ichigo pulled the blanket about the both of them and put his arms around her. She dipped her head onto his shoulder, and the two of them sat together in peaceful silence. There were no words exchanged, and there did not need to be. All they needed in that moment was each other.

"Come back to bed." Ichigo muttered in Rukia's ear. "We have to get some sleep."

But Rukia shook her head. She stood, letting the blanket slip from her shoulders, and she made to take a step, only to stop when a set of warm fingers clasped around her own.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo asked.

"I need to think," Rukia mumbled. "Please, Ichigo, go back to bed. You don't have to worry about me."

Those words were all it took to bring all of Ichigo's fears to light, and he worried for her more and more with each step she took towards the door. She gave him one last backward glance, and the weakest, most painful attempt at a smile he'd ever seen before sliding the door shut. He heard sniffles from within the hall, along with Rukia's quiet footsteps as she wept.

With a heavy heart, Ichigo fell back against the floor, only to accidentally bump his head. He forgot that Rukia had moved his pillow.

"Good morning," he said to no one, listening to the sound of birds as they began their daily rituals and sounded off like a multitude of tiny sirens.

* * *

Rukia felt bad, leaving Ichigo in that room by himself, but she did not want him to see her cry. Knowing that he was cause of her tears would only make him feel worse, and he didn't deserve to have that weighing on his conscience. He had enough to worry about, and had suffered enough on Rukia's account.

She made her way outside, only pausing to kick on some slippers and pull on the tattered ruins of her sister's kimono. It was far beyond repair, but it would keep her warm on this brisk morning.

When she stepped out into the main compound, freezing air met her lungs and she shivered. The grass was laced with frost, as were the many dark windows of the facilities. With slow, uneven steps, she wound her way back to the cliffs, hoping to catch the first rays of sunlight and warm herself in them.

When she came upon the edge overlooking the great green expanse below, it was a painful reminder of yesterday, where Ichigo's hollow had nearly taken over, and by default, a reminder of her nightmares. In the growing daylight, however, her fear seemed much less terrorizing, and she no longer felt like the hollow might burst from the shadows and devour her.

It almost felt as though she had missed a step down a flight of stairs. The very thought of the substitute soul reaper set her heart ablaze, and at the very core of her being, she recognized him as the man she cared for. She loved Ichigo, soul connection or no, and he loved her… so why did the thought of him also make her heart ache? Why did the memory of her nightmares, and the realization that the hollow within them was the man she so loved put a knot in her gut?

It was beyond confusing, and ultimately nerve racking for her to constantly second guess herself. A year ago, this never would have happened. Rukia from a year ago knew exactly who she loved and what she wanted. She was courageous, headstrong, fierce. So why did love feel so scary to her? Why did being so intimate with Ichigo make her feel like his hollow was about to tear though the seams of her nightmares and spill out into reality.

The soul reaper took a deep breath of cool morning air and stared out over the cliffs, as though wishing an answer to her problems might just fly down from the sky and smack her in the face.

Instead, a small voice to her side said, "Here, I brought you this."

It was Ichigo, and in his extended hand was a warm mug of coffee. Rukia accepted it and took a sip, and the two of them stared out over the scenery. Compared to Karakura Town, or the Seireitei, it was quiet and peaceful. No cars rumbled along roads, no shinigami rushed to their early morning muster. There was only quiet contentment, but not for Rukia.

"It's fine if you don't wanna talk about it," Ichigo told her, "but I'll be here if you do."

"Thanks. I'm just so…."

The words wouldn't come. How was she supposed to explain what she was feeling when it was little better than a tangled mess of emotions that made her head spin? How could she tell Ichigo how much she cared about him, and then turn around and point out how his hollow terrified her to no end?

"Stressed?" Ichigo offered.

Rukia snorted into her coffee. "Yeah. Something like that."

There was a pause where Ichigo slurped at his drink, his breath steaming in the cold of the new day.

"I think I get it," he said quietly, "but I don't want you to worry about me, Rukia. My hollow isn't going to take control like it did yesterday."

"How?" Rukia met his gaze. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have you here with me," Ichigo smiled. "Whenever I'm with you… it's like I don't have a care in the world."

He set his mug onto the ground and stepped off of the cliff before Rukia could pull him back from the edge. Instead of plummeting to his doom, Ichigo found his footing on solid air, and held out a hand towards Rukia, who looked unsure.

"Dance with me."

"I didn't really take you as the kinda guy to impress a girl with his fancy footwork."

The substitute shinigami grinned sheepishly. "I'm not, but according to Orihime, I'm actually a solid dancer. She asked me to be her dance partner in our school's bunkasai last year."

At once, the little bubble of infectious affection Rukia had been living in since she had learned of her marriage to Ichigo burst, leaving only the stark, blinding reality of her actions.

 _'I've betrayed Orihime,'_ Rukia said in her mind, only just realizing how she had usurped the high school girl's place as Ichigo's foremost love interest.

In truth, she had been so concerned with all the other goings on that she'd forgotten all about Orihime. The perky, well developed, redheaded high school girl had been infatuated with Ichigo for years, now. Ichigo had chosen to save Orihime when Aizen had kidnapped her, going against everything he had been told, and against his very nature as a soul reaper. He had gone to Hueco Mundo to save this girl, and now here was Rukia, swooping in on her territory.

But her hand was already grasping Ichigo's, and suddenly she had been hauled up into the air, pressed so firmly against him that the two of them might never come apart from each other.

It had broken Rukia's heart to think she had hurt Ichigo, but realizing that Orihime would have to learn of their feelings for each other seemed to cut just as deeply. After all, the two women had grown inexorably close during their training.

Orihime's goal was to be strong enough to not just be protected by Ichigo, but to stand beside him, as an equal. It was something Rukia had done many times, and perhaps it was Rukia herself that had helped fuel the girl's ambitions. The sharp fall from role model to homewrecker was not one that left her conscious untarnished.

"If anyone asks, we'll just say we were practicing our flash step," Ichigo joked. "And we can dance as long as we like."

It wasn't much of a dance, in Rukia's opinion. She had attended grand dances and beautiful shows of illustrious color and sound and tradition. At one point, she had even been a performer, doing a dance in one of her sister's kimonos while many soul reapers watched and cheered her on. Still, Ichigo didn't step on her feet, so he was already doing better than she'd expected.

Theirs was just a simple two step, back and forth as the wind tugged at the legs of their shihakushos. Ichigo's cloak fanned out majestically in the breeze as they spun, as did Hisana's kimono. As the sun rose, Rukia felt herself growing warmer, and Ichigo, as ever, was like a furnace made flesh. Just being close to him and his burning soul seemed to melt away at the chilly thoughts that made her feel gloomy.

But something else was irking Rukia as well; it was a sound unlike anything she'd heard before. It seemed to blow with the wind, rising and falling like the relaxing notes of a flute. Then it changed, twining and thrumming with all the deep urgency of an electric bass guitar. She grew hotter, pulling at her collar as the wind seemed to pick up tempo and the music grew louder, to the point where she could no longer dismiss it as a hallucination of her feverish mind.

"What is that?" Rukia asked.

"Us," Ichigo said, "look."

He raised their joined hands, only for tendrils of blue and white spiritual energy to curl off of their fingertips and float away into the sky, twisting into eternity. Rukia stared in wonder as their souls seemed to keep time with the music, growing more powerful and vibrant with each note. Ichigo marveled at the way the colors were reflected in Rukia's eyes.

"We're making this music…" she wondered aloud.

"Yeah. It seems nice, though. I feel like I've heard it somewhere else before." Ichigo listened more carefully, only to hear two distinct melodies. One was wild and primal, like a beating drum. The other was softer, more cautious, like that of an expertly played cello. He wasn't sure where, but he felt like both melodies were known to him, as if he'd heard them a million years ago.

"This is incredible," he breathed, "I feel like… like I know this rhythm, this music! Rukia… are you feeling this to?!"

"I-" Rukia faltered. She _was_ feeling it, perhaps even more than Ichigo. Her heart positively vibrated with the sounds they were making. "I've heard of this. Ichigo, this is the music of our souls… we're… by the Spirit King… do you know what this is?"

"No," Ichigo admitted, "but it feels… right."

"This is soul synchronization- when two souls are so familiar that they can connect and merge!"

Ichigo laughed quietly, guiding their careful dance so as to keep them in time with the music.

He spun, pulling Rukia closer to him before letting her unwind from his arms with an exaggerated flourish. Blood rushed to his skull, making everything sharp and clear. If the clarity brought on by battle and bloodlust was considered hell, then dancing with Rukia was nothing short of heaven.

* * *

 _In that instant time seemed to still, and Rukia and Ichigo found themselves in a world that was composed of great skyscrapers, but these were different from the ones in Ichigo's inner world. They seemed to be made of glass, and their windows were frosty and cold. Ichigo's breath steamed, but he did not feel the chill in the air. Snow fell from the sky and landed on his shoulders, but it felt as pleasant as a warm spring rain._

 _"This is similar to my inner world," Rukia said, "only the towers have never looked like this. They were always giant spires of ice."_

 _"The skyscrapers are from my inner world." Ichigo told her, smiling as she put her fingers through his._

 _They stood together in the world they had made, a union of their innermost sanctums of power and self. Individually, they were breathtaking, but together, they were beyond dazzling. Then, shadows seemed to lengthen in the sky above them, and Rukia felt as though she were rushing forward through a great headwind. A sense of foreboding flooded through her, and it was so dark she almost could not see._

 _"Where are we?" Rukia asked nervously, her eyes wide. "What is this place?"_

 _Ichigo's voice was even, but she could feel every muscle in his body grow tense, which only served to increase her own unease. "This is where I keep my hollow. He's locked behind those doors."_

 _Sure enough, a massive pair of double doors stood before the two of them, towering over their heads and casting the shadows that obscured the beauty of their conjoined inner worlds. Rukia took a step back as the spiritual pressure behind the door grew even more intense, as if the creature behind them had caught the scent of the soul reapers. The doors nearly burst off the hinges as something slammed into them, making the massive chains that crisscrossed the heavy wooden beams rattle and shake with a metallic cacophony. Rukia jumped and dragged Ichigo back, putting herself between her husband and the doors._

 _"It's awake," she whispered, fearing that her nightmares were about to become reality._

 _"Ichigo!" cried someone's terrified voice. "Ichigo, no! Ichigo! Ichigoooo!"_

 _It was the cry of a woman, and she sounded like she was in incredible pain. Ichigo just frowned at the door, his jaw clenched and his eyes hard._

 _"Was that-"_

 _"Orihime," Ichigo muttered. "The hollow likes to taunt me. It reminds me of all the times I failed and he took over. This is from when I fought Ulquiorra and almost died...but from the sound of it, you'd think Orihime was the one dying."_

 _Rukia listened to the pain in the high school girl's voice as the hollow mocked Ichigo. The sound of it was so real that she felt like her heart would tear itself to pieces if she didn't draw her sword and run to Orihime's rescue, but she was nowhere to be seen, and Rukia didn't dare to get any closer to the doors._

 _The petite soul reaper felt a shiver run the length of her spine. "This is awful."_

 _"It's something you get used to," Ichigo sighed. "I drown it out pretty easily, nowadays."_

 _Ichigo closed his eyes and focused, making the voices stop. Light returned to their joined inner worlds, and before Rukia could take another look around, they were soaring away from their little paradise. The beauty of that place, of their conjoined inner worlds, was incomparable, and their souls were so complex that seeing them put together was like an enormous tapestry of all their best and worst moments together, interlocking like a puzzle made of their memories. From such a height, it looked like a wonderfully ornate tapestry woven of pearlescent azure and silver. Ichigo's hollow was a single black thread on that tapestry, a solitary blot of darkness amidst a sea of vibrant color and warmth and happiness. Ichigo, who was a bit more modern thinking, thought it looked more like a dead pixel on a television screen. It was a minor irritant, but it drew his eyes and put a bitter taste on his tongue. Rukia gently squeezed his fingers, and his expression softened._

* * *

Back in the physical world, the music slowly faded, and their souls began to mellow, melting into wisps of color that wafted away on the wind. Rukia met her husband's eyes, and in that moment, she knew that the weight in her heart was too much for her to bear alone.

"I have something to confess," the couple said in unison. "You go first!"

Ichigo grinned. Rukia blushed furiously. With how connected they were, their thoughts had become a bit of a tangled mess, and it was difficult to discern where Rukia's mind ended and Ichigo's began.

"I'll start," Rukia said quickly when the haze had faded, "Ichigo… the reason I woke up this morning was because of your hollow… it… it terrifies me. It gives me nightmares just thinking that the man I love has something so dark and uncontrollable inside him."

All mirth was gone from Ichigo's face in an instant, replaced by concern so piercing that Rukia felt she might have been stabbed with his thoughtfulness. This was only redoubled when he arched an eyebrow, and her heart panged with a dull ache.

"It's funny you should say that," the substitute soul reaper shook his head. "I've been meaning to tell you, Rukia. I wasn't the one that saved you from Aizen. That was the hollow. He took over after I saw you get stabbed. I couldn't control myself and then… the next thing I knew, I was holding you in my arms, and staggering into the C.C.C. headquarters."

Rukia tried to recollect what happened after she'd been stabbed but so much of it was blurry or just lost. There were a few vague flashes of a tall, pale, comforting figure with a spirit energy that was remarkably similar to Ichigo's. Had that been the hollow?

"What does that mean?"

Ichigo's eyes flickered back and forth, as Rukia's gaze was suddenly hard to meet. "I'm not exactly sure, but if I had to guess… I think it means you're the one thing my hollow doesn't hate. Either that, or you're so scary that he actually has some small measure of respect for your abilities."

"WHAT?!" Rukia's spiritual pressure was magnified by her outrage, as was her voice. "I'm not scary! Take that back or I swear I'll-"

Before Ichigo could apologize, or Rukia had even finished threatening him, she leapt up and threw an arm around his neck, putting him in a headlock that even Ichigo couldn't pull away from.

"I'm sorry," he spluttered. "Sorry! I'm sorr-HRK Rukia I can't- GRRH breathe!"

But Rukia was far too preoccupied with her own train of thought, which was more like a derailed locomotive shooting from one conclusion to the next as fire flew from her lips and steam gushed from her ears.

"I'm not scary! I'm a fun, loveable, adorable, strong, proud soul reaper! I don't want your hollow's respect! I'll put him in a headlock too! How dare you say I'm scary?! I've been told that I'm cute as a button on multiple occasions, by multiple men, and even a few women!"

"GRRRK Rukia- HRRRG- stop!"

Ichigo was red in the face, and nearing a blackout when she finally let him drop. Neither of them realized they were still floating in midair, though, so when Ichigo fell, he was suddenly diving headlong to his death. He was moments from breaking through the tree line when Rukia caught him by his collar and dragged him back up.

"I should've let you fall," she pouted, sitting next to Ichigo underneath a tree on the edge of the cliffs. "It would've served you right for saying I'm scary."

"Right, because you're totally not scary." Ichigo rolled his eyes, massaging his throat to get rid of the hoarseness.

"Exactly!"

Silence fell between them, and they sat together in quiet companionship as the sun began to peek over the horizon. Their coffee was cold, but it made little difference to Ichigo. Being near Rukia was more than enough for him. He looked down, only to find that she had finally fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder and her hand in his. It was, in Ichigo's opinion, a wonderful way to start the day, and he sat with Rukia under the boughs of that tree, watching as leaves fell from its branches and cascaded down into the forest far below them.

* * *

Unfortunately, Ichigo's day only went downhill from there. His training recommenced, and he worked hard to avoid disappointing his tutors. Chad helped him with his Fullbring, and they worked together to enhance their techniques. They utilized everything, from the dirt beneath their feet to the air around them, turning everything to their advantage in order to gain the upper hand in battle.

After that, Ichigo worked with Rukia and Yoruichi on his kido, which, even by normal soul reaper standards, was lacking. Like Karin, and many of the Shiba clan, Ichigo was possessed of a strange affinity for lightning based kido spells, and advanced quickly in their different applications. Yoruichi had him destroying targets, create fields of static electricity, even taught him to infuse his blade with lightning.

The sun was high in the sky when Ichigo faced off against Kisuke Urahara, though not in the traditional sense. Ichigo took a seat at a desk, and Kisuke stood at a chalkboard, upon which he had written ' _How NOT To Be Killed: Defensive Combat for Dummies_!' Next to this was a stick figure sketch of a hollow sneaking up on an unwary soul reaper.

"As you can see by this diagram," the shopkeeper explained brightly, "you are more likely to be attacked from behind. You can try to counter, but the safest and most effective method is to simply run. Remember, your enemy's attacks don't work if they don't hit you- no matter how powerful they are!"

"Great, thanks a lot," Ichigo groaned, holding his chin in his hand, "this is so helpful."

Urahara itched his chin thoughtfully. "That's not really the attitude of an attentive student."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I'm a great student! I'm tied with Uryu as far as academics are concerned, and he's a know-it-all brainiac who tries way too hard! It's just that I already know all this!"

Kisuke tipped his hat forward so that it covered his eyes. It was not lost upon him that Ichigo thought this class was a waste of time, but in truth, a theoretical application of defense was a good way to improve upon the basics of what Ichigo had already learned through trial and error.

"I've got it!" Kisuke said suddenly, snapping his fingers like an idea had occurred to him. "Time for a pop quiz!"

"Ugh, really? We've barely gotten started. I haven't even taken any notes." Ichigo groaned.

Kisuke grinned wickedly, slowly drawing his sword as Ichigo watched him apprehensively. "Not a problem! This pop quiz will be purely practical, and will give you the chance to put what we've learned into action!"

Ichigo held up his hands. "Wait, hold on a second, this wasn't on the syllabus- I don't even have Zangetsu-"

"Screech, Benihime!"

A jet of red light that sounded like a thousand firecrackers flew at Ichigo, who grabbed his chair and hurled it through the window of the classroom with a crash.

"Somebody help me, Kisuke's gone crazy!" he cried, leaping through the window and running through the Shihouin Training Facility, trying to get as far as possible from the mad man.

"Nonsense, Ichigo, I've been crazy since you met me!" Kisuke's voice was so close that Ichigo could practically feel his breath on his ear. He dropped, rolled and ducked behind the corner of the building he'd just been in, only for it to burst into a million pieces as the shopkeeper fired off another attack that sounded like fireworks.

"Defensive, Ichigo! You have to think defensively! You don't have your sword, so think! What's your next move?"

The sound of Urahara's clogs were loud and piercing through the dust cloud that Ichigo was hiding in, but they echoed and reverberated, making it unclear as to where he was. It was hard to be defensive when an attack could come from literally any direction. He tried to think, but uncertainty froze him in place. Then, from overhead, he heard the flapping of wings as hundreds of birds took flight from the massive trees that surrounded the facility.

 _'High ground,_ ' Ichigo realized quickly, kicking off from the concrete and taking to the skies.

He landed as silently as he could on the rooftop, peering over the edge as the dust cloud faded… but there was no sign of Urahara.

"You have good instincts," came a lazy tone from behind him, "but your senses aren't being put to good use. Let's try that again, shall we?"

Ichigo turned to find himself facing the point of Kisuke's sword, which glowed cherry red, like it had been submerged in a forge for hours.

"Screech, Benihime."

The sound of a thousand birds crying out in unison seemed to grow louder as the red light flew at Ichigo, who deftly turned and leapt from the rooftop with a strangled cry. He felt debris and shrapnel sting his back as the rooftop exploded behind him. He hit the ground running, and did not stop until he found himself in the main courtyard of the training facility, surrounded by tall buildings on all sides. He panted heavily as he turned to face every building around him. Out in the light, there was nowhere for his enemy to hide, and so he waited.

The sound of clogs met his ears, and he turned to find Kisuke approaching at a leisurely pace, his sword hanging from his fingers almost lacksidaisily, but Ichigo was not fooled. Kisuke Urahara was dangerous, regardless of whether or not he was being serious in a fight.

"Forcing me into the open, another good move. The only problem is that in doing so, you force a confrontation. See? I can't hide, but neither can you. And as I'm the one with the weapon, you are at a major disadvantage."

In a fraction of a second, the shopkeeper had vanished and reappeared in front of Ichigo, halfway through a thrust. Ichigo sidestepped, but Kisuke turned the blade and slashed, forcing Ichigo to duck under the attack. He rolled backward and came up standing, but Kisuke was already upon him. Ichigo had anticipated this, however, and he thrust his palm upward as he stood up, driving it into Kisuke's sternum and sending the shopkeeper skyward. He flipped in the air, righting himself as he went before flash stepping once more, but Ichigo already knew where he would be. The instant Kisuke appeared, Ichigo had already flash stepped out of range. He raised a hand and braced his arm as lightning crackled to life at his fingertips.

"Hado 63, Raikoho!" he incanted.

"Bakudo 81," Urahara drawled, "Dangai."

Ichigo's lightning bolt burst to life, only to strike against Urahara's shield and bluster out. The former captain stepped through his bakudo, shaking his head.

"I feel like you aren't getting this," he sighed, tapping the blade of his sword against his shoulder. "Maybe we need to go back to the theoretical applications before delving into the practical side of things."

Ichigo shivered. "If I have to choose between going back to the classroom and hitting the books, or being attacked… I think I'll stay right where I am."

Yoruichi's voice rang down from overhead. "Somehow, I'm not even remotely surprised you'd say that."

Both Ichigo and Kisuke looked up to find the noblewoman perched amidst the branches of the enormous trees that crisscrossed overhead. She dove, falling towards the earth like a meteor before flipping around and landing gracefully next to Kisuke.

"If Ichigo had to choose between schoolwork or a deadly fight, he'd choose the deadly fight every time. He's always been a hands-on learner."

"I kinda figured as much," the shopkeeper smiled knowingly, "but he doesn't seem to grasp the concept of defensive fighting very well."

"Can you blame him? He's always charging headlong into danger, and more often than not, he finds it. It's in his nature to strike first and strike hard."

Yoruichi circled Urahara as she spoke, looking much like a cat weaving herself between her owner's legs, though instead she simply bumped against him, only coming to a stop to push her head up beneath Kisuke's chin. He flashed a smile, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Uh… guys? I'm right here, you know…" Ichigo looked on, feeling oddly jealous. Seeing the two of them smiling and happy made him think of Rukia, and their moments together earlier that day. Such pleasant thoughts were quickly drowned out by the arrival of several spiritual pressures that made Ichigo tense involuntarily.

Whipping about, he spotted Grimmjow making a beeline for the three of them, leaned forward so much that he looked like he was hunched over, his hands in his pockets as he walked with a long, lazy stride. Neliel walked alongside him in her adult form, her eyes distant and glassy, as if she were deep in thought. Her arms were wrapped rather tightly about herself. Behind them, the Tres Bestias trailed along silently, forming a quiet trio that forcibly reminded Ichigo of the girls from his high school. They stared at him, only pausing to whisper amongst themselves and giggle when he scowled in their direction.

"Hey, Ichigo, you busy?" Grimmjow asked, blissfully ignorant of the training that had been going on mere minutes prior.

"Uh… kinda. What's up, Grimmjow?"

The substitute soul reaper met the arrancar's eyes, and it occurred to Ichigo just how much the hollow had changed since they'd met. He was still possessed of that moody self-assured attitude that drove women crazy (and made Ichigo feel like skewering him) but he looked oddly tamed. His hair had been slicked back, almost like Aizen's. This simple change, coupled with his cool-under-fire demeanor turned him from a rebellious punk into a responsible leader.

"I'm sick of all this sitting around. I was wondering if you'd like to fight with me," Grimmjow said. "No one else around here seems to want to have at it. Not even the big guy with the weird arms."

"Chad? Oh, don't take that personally," Ichigo told the hollow, "he's not too fond of strangers. But I'm training right now, actually, so maybe in a little while-"

"Actually, this may be just what Ichigo needs," Yoruichi interjected. "Someone he's fought before, but hasn't instructed him. He learns best by doing, right? Let's see him put your teachings to the test."

Kisuke frowned, and put up his fan so as to have a private sidebar with Yoruichi. "What if his hollow is awakened by the release of Grimmjow's resureccion? We can't have Ichigo going berserk on us."

"Tell them to keep it simple. Stick to the fundamentals and make use of things he's learned with you. It'll be fine, we'll be here in case anything goes awry."

The shopkeeper closed his fan with a snap and smiled at the arrancars, all of whom gave him strange looks in return. Apacci went so far as to roll her eyes, but Kisuke simply grinned even wider.

"Looks like a duel, then! Fists only, if you please, Grimmjow, as Ichigo doesn't have his zanpakuto, and I'd rather not have you two hurting yourselves! I'll be the referee, and Yoruichi will be on the sidelines to patch you both up! We'll go until one of you calls it quits, sound good?"

"Fine by me," Ichigo crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at the arrancar.

Grimmjow bared his teeth in what would barely pass as a savage smile. "Yeah, whatever. Let's do this."

Neliel put a hand on Grimmjow's shoulder and put her lips to his ear. "Be careful Grimmjow. Don't hurt him… And good luck."

He grunted in response, and turned away from everyone as heat flushed his face. He made a show of removing his jacket, and throwing it at Sung-Sun, who caught it and shot him a dirty look, but folded it up neatly all the same.

Ichigo pulled his arms from the sleeves of his shihakusho and let the robe hang from his waist, exposing his own chest as he bounced on the balls of his feet and flexed his hands.

"Hey, why are Ichigo and this arrancar guy stripping down?" Karin called, having wandered over with Rukia, who was glancing between Ichigo and the Tres Bestias with jealousy in her eyes.

"We're training," Ichigo explained shortly. "What do you want, anyway?"

"I was just wondering why the both of you are taking your clothes off," Karin shrugged innocently.

"Would you not say it like that?!" Ichigo rounded on his sister. "You make it sound so dirty!"

"Say what? That you and this guy are taking your clothes off? Because that's what you're doing," Karin grinned and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Rukia, get Karin out of here would you?!"

"Huh? What?" Rukia was snapped out of her stupor, having been gnawing her lip and staring at Ichigo's abs.

"Why is your nose bleeding, Rukia?" Karin asked as the soul reaper pinched her nose closed.

"N-n-n-no reason," she said throatily, "but I'd like to stay and watch… for emotional support."

"Right, thanks for all the support," Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned away from his sister and his wife.

Grimmjow was standing across from him, while Yoruichi and Kisuke had retreated to a respectful distance. The enforcer was having his knuckles wrapped in cloth by Neliel, and Rukia stepped forward to help Ichigo do the same. He was just thinking that it wasn't really a fair fight given his hand injury, but then he noticed that his opponent had one as well. When Grimmjow saw Ichigo looking at it, he shifted his hand ever so slightly, concealing it from Ichigo's prying eyes.

"Alrighty then," Kisuke said when Rukia and Neliel had finished. "All set? Ready to go? Ok then, start fighting, you two!"

Ichigo was about to point out that there should be a bell or something to signal the start of the fight, but that was when Grimmjow's fist entered his point of view. It landed heavily on Ichigo's face, and the substitute soul reaper found himself reeling as inertia carried him backward. The arrancar looked manic, his teeth bared with insane mirth as he pulled back for another jab, this time with his left hand. Ichigo found his footing and focused, and this time when the attack came his direction, he followed it with his eyes. He bobbed to the side and dug in, coming up within Grimmjow's guard, and driving his elbow up under the hollow's ribcage to push the breath from his lungs. He followed up with a strong left handed shot to Grimmjow's jaw, making the arrancar's teeth clack loudly.

He stumbled back, expecting Ichigo to pursue him, but the redhead smirked and raised his hands, looking like a boxer as he hopped from side to side.

"Asshole," Grimmjow grunted, wiping the blood that ran from his lips with his wrist.

"Coming from the guy who starts off with a cheap shot, I'll take that as a compliment."

The two combatants began to circle each other, their hands at eye level, ready to either attack or defend, but neither of them tried to break the ring they made in the dirt.

Grimmjow spat up a globule of blood. "Losing your nerve, Ichigo? Are ya scared I'll knock your lights out?"

"I was told to practice my defense," the substitute shinigami reminded him. "Hit me whenever you like, 'fraidy cat."

Grimmjow growled. "Don't call me that!"

"Here, kitty kitty," Ichigo jeered.

"THAT'S IT!"

The hollow leapt forward, racing on all fours like an animal. He caught Ichigo around the waist and tackled him, driving him into the ground before straddling him and raining blows upon the substitute soul reaper's face. Ichigo craned his head to the side in the moment Grimmjow pulled back for a final blow, and his knuckles hit the ground with a crunch that made Ichigo wince in sympathy. Grimmjow exhaled through his teeth, only to be stunned when Ichigo caught him under the chin with his palm. He then locked an arm around Grimmjow's thigh and rolled, coming up on his feet as the arrancar nursed his hand and staggered upright.

"All that anger is making you think irrationally," Ichigo said, absently wiping the blood that dripped from his eyebrow. "Seems like you've gotten soft on me, Grimmjow."

The former Espada clenched his jaw and painstakingly popped his knuckles back into joint one after the other. He was breathing heavily, but he fixed a smile onto his face and ran a hand through his hair, trying to remain calm, but it was no use. His rage at being made to look like a fool overflowed into his reiatsu, which billowed around him like a barely contained inferno of blue energy. The urge to destroy welled within him, blocking out all other senses, and forming a knot in his gut that radiated with an all-too-familiar ache. It was the ache of someone with a void no amount of destruction could fill. It was a void he had tried to ignore and control in his service to Lord White. And now, it was a void which he fell headlong into.

He opened his injured hand, and the energy of his anger poured into his palm, forming an attack Ichigo knew well.

"Cero," Grimmjow hissed. He closed his hand around the orb of light in his palm, crushing it into his fist, and storing the energy from it in his limb. His arm burned, and the bleeding from his knuckles stopped. He crouched low and sprang forward, arms out at either side, fists glowing. Ichigo's eyes went wide as Grimmjow sank a fist into his gut, channeling all of the explosive energy of an Espada-level cero into his body through their contact. Ichigo was a blur of skin and black robes as he tumbled head over heels, his body scraping against the ground as he tried to come to a stop before he fell off the side of the cliff.

Weightlessness besieged him, wind tore at his robes and roared in his ears. He barely managed to catch hold of a vine hanging from the face of the crags. His arms shook, but he quickly pulled himself back up to find Grimmjow waiting for him, his arms crossed.

"I thought we were keeping things basic," Ichigo snapped.

"We are. No weapons, but if you want to charge up a punch with your spirit energy, be my guest."

The smugness that dripped from the hollow was thick enough to put a sour taste in Ichigo's mouth. He spit in the dirt and ground it in with the heel of his sandal. If Grimmjow was changing the rules of the game, perhaps it was time for Ichigo to take things up a notch.

The two of them sized each other up, both watching for even the slightest hints of movements. From the sidelines, Yoruichi looked on with fearful anticipation. Neliel met Grimmjow's eye and gave him a warning look. Rukia was peering at the Tres Bestias, all of whom had their eyes fixed upon Ichigo with hungry expressions, like wild predators looking at fallen prey.

"HYAAAARGH!" Ichigo raced forward, taking the initiative and earning himself a scowl from Kisuke.

"He's supposed to be working on his defense." The shopkeeper pointed out.

Yoruichi elbowed him. "Just relax. He probably needs to blow off some steam."

Ichigo and Grimmjow dashed forward, determination in their eyes as they hurled headlong towards their battle. Grimmjow raised his hands, which were still glowing with energy as he prepared to teach Ichigo a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

"Blut!" Ichigo exclaimed, pounding a fist to his chest and shoulder charging the arrancar.

Grimmjow brought his fist down on Ichigo's back just as the substitute soul reaper was tackling him, only it felt wrong, like he'd punched the concrete all over again. A small choked cry escaped his lips as the redhead barreled into him with the force of a bulldozer. It was the arrancar's turn to taste dirt as he flew across the main path and crashed hard into the ground before bouncing back up and coming to a stop against the hard concrete building which housed the mess hall.

Ichigo panted, licking the blood from the corner of his mouth. He wasn't sure it would work, but it seemed he was correct in his assumptions that half-blooded Quincy, such as Uryu and himself, had kept their powers after Yhawch had drained all of the Sternritter.

"You still have your Quincy powers?" Grimmjow groaned, slowly prying himself from the wall he'd hit and flexing his sore legs and arms.

"Yeah, I guess I do."

The combatants were both losing steam. They'd barely tapped into their reiatsu's, but their physical bodies were already becoming tired, and their wounds only made things worse. Only the hard determination in Grimmjow's eyes made Ichigo want to continue.

"Then what do you say we-" Grimmjow took a runners stance "-PICK UP THE PACE!"

The arrancar vanished in a sonido, and Ichigo didn't have time to react as the heel of a boot crossed his jaw, sending him spinning to the earth. He used the momentum and rolled upright, his Blut protecting him from the brunt of the damage as he raised his hands and infused them with lightning using his hado.

The substitute shinigami and the arrancar hollered like demons and clashed like titans, throwing fists and kicks in equal measure as their spirit energies burst to life around them. Ichigo, true to his training, watched Grimmjow's movements. He figured out when to counter, and worked out weak points so that whenever Grimmjow threw a punch, he could sweep aside his attack and go in for a strike of his own.

Their hands moved like lightning, Ichigo's fingers flickering with golden arcs of electricity as Grimmjow's burned with explosive cero energy. Ichigo sidestepped and ducked, getting to the point where he could avoid Grimmjow's fists altogether as he learned the Espada's pattern of attack.

It became a bit of a problem when he danced out of the arrancar's reach and let out a laugh. All at once, the things Kisuke had been trying to teach him seemed to have clicked into place. It seemed so easy, so basic, but it was a lesson that had taken hours of training to really sink in.

No matter how powerful the punch, it made no difference if it couldn't connect. If this could be applied to Aizen somehow… Ichigo felt like he was close to a breakthrough.

Grimmjow charged the substitute soul reaper, ready to deliver a series of strikes when the ground shook underfoot. Everyone in the clearing was suddenly on edge as they detected an anomaly in the reishi surrounding them.

Ichigo paused, listening carefully. It sounded like something was fast approaching from the skies, similar to a jet breaking the sound barrier. Even more strangely, this anomaly seemed like a gaping void in the fabric of reishi that made up the Soul Society, like a black hole hurtling towards the Shihouin Training Facility. While Neliel, Rukia and Karin wore surprised expressions, Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun looked around with shrewd eyes. Grimmjow simply seemed miffed that he'd been deprived of his chance to pound Ichigo to a pulp. Yoruichi tensed, like a cat with raised hackles.

"Something's headed this way, and it's moving fast," Grimmjow said, taking his coat from Sung- Sun.

And before any one of them could so much as draw their swords, the anomaly stopped moving. It was amongst them, standing not too far off on the edge of the cliffs, the afternoon sun slowly setting on its back as it swept its masked gaze over all present.

The hollow was slim, and had the deceptively human form of an arrancar. The mask over its head covered its eyes and nose, leaving the mouth exposed. Behind narrow slits were golden irises that flashed with hateful intelligence, as if it despised everything it saw.

Its mask was adorned with a single blood red spot upon the forehead. It also had a beak-like nose that resembled a plague doctor's mask, and a row of sharp teeth along the bottom half that extended down past the human jaw. The hollow had wings on its back that were reminiscent of those of a bat, with iridescent purple membranes and clawed joints. One of the beast's arms had been fused with a shield, which was made of the same ivory substance as its mask. In the center of this shield was a strange gem that glowed with violet energy. His other arm was normal, but his hand grasped a sword that made Ichigo do a double take.

It was a silver sword, the grip of which was etched with a snake skin pattern. The guard was in the shape of an ouroboros.

"That sword…" Ichigo muttered absently, his eyes searching the arrancar for telltale signs of familiarity.

Sure enough, he found them: the strong jaw, the blonde hair that protruded from within the hollow mask, and beneath the thick white armor, the signature sleeves of a navy blue shihakusho, rolled back by some rebellious punk.

"It's him," Ichigo's voice was small, yet shook with suppressed rage. "It's Kazue, one of the Kamisaigaiku clan leader's guardians."

"That means this is Aizen's work," Kisuke surmised, eyeing up the hollow as if it were an interesting equation to be solved, rather than a twisted, perverted corruption of what had once been a powerful soul reaper.

Then, another voice filled the clearing, crackling with radio static that resonated from the hollow. It was a voice that set every person there on edge, rendering them speechless and frozen in fear.

Many miles away, in a dimly lit room suffused with violet light, Sosuke Aizen sat amongst a variety of dusty lab equipment, watching a screen that displayed a grainy image of several people, chief amongst them a certain substitute soul reaper with strawberry blonde hair, a shopkeeper, two noblewomen, and a handful of arrancars. "That is correct, Kisuke Urahara. This is indeed my work, and I created him with one purpose in mind. Would you care to tell them your primary function, Black?"

The human jaw worked, and from within it, a multitude of voices emerged.

"We must destroy Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends," Black recited. "We will kill anyone who dares oppose our master."

"Precisely," Aizen said. "Now, Black, whom do you serve?"

The hollow's reply was immediate. "Lord Aizen."

The traitor smiled and took off his glasses, hanging them from the collar of his star spangled robes as he reclined in his chair, taking great satisfaction in all the terrified expressions of the people in the clearing.

"Perfect," he said to himself, folding his hands before his face. "This is the end of the line for you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Ugh, this chapter was a slog and a half. Between another 90 hour work week, and a thousand and one other things I've been dealing with, writing has been incredibly slow. Then there's the fact that I was gone for so long I forgot exactly where I was and had to go through and completely reread the story just to get a feel for where I was. After I did that, what I had was scrapped and a massive rewrite took place. On the bright side, I have a ton of ideas for this fic now, as I've been giving it a lot of thought and figuring out what I want to incorporate. Let's just say that in the true spirit of Bleach, this damned fanfic is probably gonno go on for a crazy long time until no one reads it anymore, and then I'll wrap it up due to pressure from my publisher and medical issues, forcing an ending that no one will like. Or something like that. I kid, Tite Kubo is the muhfukkin man.**_

 _ **For those wondering, a bunkasai is pretty much the only thing I could find that could be equivalated to prom in America, so you'll have to forgive my ignorance of the inner workings of japanese high schools.**_

 _ **Furthermore, here we have Ichigo developing his powers, some lovey dovey bullshit, and like eight layers of metaphysical bullshit wrapped up in so much allegory that it essentially makes the story unreadable. I might have to fix that, one of these days.**_

 _ **Oh, and Kazue returns, having become the experiment of Aizen. This oughta be interesting.**_

 _ **In the two or so months since I've posted the last chapter, there had been a literal fuckton of music I've been listening to so I can give you guys some lovey dovey shit to jam out to while you read.**_

 _ **MUSIC!**_

 _ **Sunkissed-Khai Dreams**_

 _ **Ultimately-Khai Dreams**_

 _ **Your Soul-Forrest ft. Biskwiq**_

 _ **Come True-Khai Dreams ft. Forrest, Biskwiq, Wizard Island**_

 _ **Lately-Forrest ft RYCE, Biskwiq**_

 _ **Untitled-EDEN**_

 _ **Coyote Theory-This Side of Paradise**_

 _ **END OF LOVEDY DOVEY SHIT**_

 _ **Jacob Lee- Guidance**_

 _ **Someone You Loved-Lewis Capaldi (wtf my boi is all over the radio now)**_

 _ **AND FINALLY, A TRIBUTE TO JUICE WRLD RIP MY GUY**_

 _ **Hate Me-Juice WRLD ft Ellie Goulding**_

 _ **Alright, I'm out of music suggestions for now. Thanks for reading. If you thought this was the perfect story and it needs no improvement and I'm the greatest writer of all time, go ahead and don't leave me a review. Otherwise, let me know what you think could be better.**_

 _ **Peace to you all, and happy holidays. Things are about to get real sad real quick.**_


	21. A Tragic Sacrifice: Death at the STF

"Well, well, well, look who's decided to come and pay us a visit," Urahara crossed his arms and smirked at the demi-hollow hybrid before him. "To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure, Aizen? I was under the impression you were busy pretending to be nobility. I suppose you have to have a way to satisfy your god complex."

"This coming from the man who hid behind the coat tails of a seventeen year old substitute soul reaper when faced with the prospect of having to fight me? You must forgive my skepticism, Kisuke, for your credibility is essentially null and void."

The static ridden voice of Aizen was unmistakable in its soft tones. It was the voice of someone who did not need to speak loudly to be heard clearly. No matter where he was, you could hear his voice like he was just over your shoulder. When he said Ichigo's name, the hollow turned to look at him, and all the cruel, cold intelligence of Aizen's gaze seemed to focus through its eyes, putting a knot in Ichigo's stomach.

"I wouldn't say I hid behind him," Kisuke pouted. "I just gave him a few nudges in the right direction."

"Aizen! How did you find us?!" Yoruichi shouted. "And what have you done to that young man?!"

Many miles away, the traitor smiled, his fingers drumming on the arm of the chair he was sitting in. "It's quite simple, really. I used a demi hollow to find a demi hollow. As for what I've done with the boy, he now serves me faithfully. In return, I have eased his burdens, and given him a chance to redeem himself."

"Cut the bullshit, Aizen!" hollered Ichigo. "Why have you sent this thing here?! Release Kazue at once!"

His hands shook with fear and anger, but he could not tear his eyes away from the hollow. Underneath the thick ivory armor and that mask, there was a person that Ichigo knew. They may have fought, they may have hated each other's guts, but no matter how Ichigo may have disliked him, no man should fall victim to the depravity of Sosuke Aizen.

"I'm afraid we are long past reaching any kind of accord, Ichigo. I gave you a chance to walk away, don't you recall? I sent Rukia to your cell with the key to your freedom, offering you the opportunity to escape with your life and leave the Soul Society in my care. As it just so happens, things have been progressing faster than even I could have anticipated. I cannot afford to be distracted by you any longer."

"Distractions?" Rukia whispered incredulously. "Is… is that all we are to him?"

The click-clack of clogs was loud as Kisuke stepped to the forefront of the group, putting himself between the demi hollow and everyone else. Tilting the brim of his hat lower, the scientist grinned to himself.

"I may not know much, Aizen, but I know a bad liar when I hear one. You're here to check up on Ichigo. Seems to me you're terrified of what we've been teaching him, of how strong he'll become. You're scared that we're plotting against you, because I think that you know all of us together pose a significant threat to your schemes."

The impassive smirk that Aizen kept plastered in place did not waver, nor did he reveal any signs of agitation.

"Me? Scared? I'm afraid your hypothesis is somewhat baseless, Kisuke. Fear is a primal emotion felt by lesser beings. It is an instinct; a chemical in the brain that compels people to survive, to expect the worst and prepare for it. I do not feel fear, or hatred, or any other emotion that would move people like you. I am so very close to reaching my goal that I can taste it… so you must enlighten me, Kisuke Urahara, what does fear feel like?"

"Your goal, huh?" Kisuke muttered softly, "what exactly does that mean?"

Ichigo started forward, either unaware or uncaring of the fact that he was without his zanpakuto, but he was quickly caught by several pairs of hands. Rukia held him back by the obi about his waist while Chad gripped his shoulder. Yoruichi had him by the elbow, and Kisuke threw out an arm to prevent Ichigo from getting any closer to the hybrid.

Then, a series of quick, light footsteps broke the silence.

"I'll teach _you_ to fear, YOU BASTARD!" Grimmjow roared, charging at the demi hollow. "This is for all the Espada you killed, Aizen!"

"Grimmjow, WAIT!" Neliel's shout was lost amongst the chorus as everyone cried out for him to stop. The Tres Bestias all drew their swords, but by then, it was already too late.

As soon as Grimmjow stepped in to land a punch on the hollow's face, he felt like all of the fight had been taken out of him. It was like his spirit energy had been forced from his body as easily as the air from his lungs. His vision grew dim and fuzzy, and his knees felt like they were about to give out. Every muscle in his body ached, but all he'd done was punch the demi hollow. With how quickly his strength had gone, it seemed as though the punch hadn't even fazed Kazue, let alone caused him any pain. His fist was curled against the hollow's mask, but even holding it there was almost too much for him to sustain.

A bright violet gleam caught his eye, and Grimmjow looked down to find the gem on the hollow's shield was glowing like a supernova. He took a weary step back as the hollow held him at arm's length. The world seemed to slow, and the ground beneath him felt like it was tilting from side to side. The demi hollow slowly, carefully hefted its sword, and then used it to cleave off Grimmjow's extended arm.

White hot, blinding pain besieged Grimmjow, but he was so very tired. He sank to his knees, his tongue too tired to form the scream that echoed in his mind as blood soaked into his skin, making it sticky and slick

"Grimmjow, get out of their!" Ichigo cried, still being held back by Rukia, Chad, Yoruichi, and now Karin, all of whom were straining quite hard against him.

Neliel drew her blade as the Tres Bestias rushed in, but it was no use. Somehow, her strength seemed to have left her in the moment Grimmjow fell to his knees. The wounded arrancar looked up from the ground, his teeth bared in a feral snarl, and Nel felt her stomach drop out from beneath her as she realized what was about to happen.

"Finish it," Grimmjow hissed.

There was a growl, the hybrid hollow's eyes flashed as it turned its shield to the wounded arrancar. The gem set within its face glowed, and erupted in a violent explosion of energy. The former Espada felt a strange rush as a spiritual pressure eerily reminiscent of his own washed over him, encasing him in a cero more powerful than anything he'd ever felt. Violet light swallowed him and the Tres Bestias, whom were all rushing to his aid. The world fell away beneath Grimmjow as he flew through the air, and then the arrancar lost consciousness.

"Grimmjow!" Neliel cried. "Mila Rose, Sung-Sun, Apacci!"

The massive beam of violet power waned and then died as the demi hollow lowered his shield, and four bodies fell in smoking heaps. Ichigo felt his heart catch on his adam's apple as he stared with shock at the absolute and utter defeat of not one, but four highly accomplished arrancars. Their white clothes were blackened and tattered, revealing skin that was blistered and burnt. The air reeked of burning hair and flesh, and all the demi hollow could do was shake the blood from the blade of his sword and take a rattling breath.

"You son of a bitch…." The words tumbled from Ichigo's clenched teeth as he felt the telltale darkness of his inner hollow grip him. "I won't let you get away with this! Do you hear me, Aizen?!"

"Ichigo, calm down!" Rukia put her hand in his, turning his face so that he was forced to meet her gaze. The corners of his eyes were already stained with black, and his irises were glowing. Rukia stared into those amber eyes with all the intensity she could muster. "You mustn't let him get to you!"

"You will find no reward in resistance, Ichigo," Aizen called out to him, his voice ringing through the hollow. "You cannot deny your base instinct, no matter how you may try to fight it. You were a failed experiment, a bastardization of a century's worth of work. And now I will have Black slaughter you and your allies."

"Ichigo, snap out of it!" Rukia said, lightly but firmly slapping her husband across the face.

Fear coursed through Ichigo like an infection in his bloodstream, freezing his limbs in place as the power of his hollow washed over him, battering him like the endless waves of a stormy sea pressing in on all sides. He felt as if he were standing in the eye of the storm. Rukia's words cut through the darkness, but there was something amiss. Her voice seemed to grow fainter, and the sound of maniacal laughter grew louder. Nothing seemed to be able to suppress it.

He found the golden eyes of the demi hollow fixated upon himself, staring at Ichigo with unrestrained hatred. Something in that glare was almost tangible, like Ichigo been struck with a cero. The demi hollow narrowed its eyes in concentration, and the laughter in his head grew even louder.

With the hollow temporarily distracted, Neliel gathered the bodies of her comrades. She vanished and reappeared before the demi hollow had time to react, each time pulling another body out of harm's way. When all of them were safe, she took her blade and held it under the noses of each of her companions. Their breath fogged the blade after a few heart pounding moments of worry. Miraculously, all of them were alive, but she did not know for how long.

"Whatever is the matter, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Aizen queried, his eyes piercing Ichigo through the monitor. "Why do you defend the monsters you have fought since you discovered your powers? These hollows are your enemies, are they not? Or perhaps you have come around to my way of thinking. Has it finally dawned upon you that the lines drawn up by the Soul Society are no longer quite so black and white as they once were? Do you see now that you are no different from these monsters?"

"I don't care what you say, Aizen…. I won't give in… to my hollow…. I won't…." It was getting harder to resist, and a splitting headache burned through his brain as Ichigo fought the influence of the beast inside himself. A bead of sweat dripped down his temple, and he shuddered as that single droplet of perspiration very nearly destroyed his concentration.

The traitor smirked in his lab chair. "You do not have any choice. Black will draw your hollow out of you whether you wish it or not. He is the impenetrable wall to White's unstoppable force. The hollow within you will have no choice but to rise to his challenge."

 ** _"AAAAAARRRRGH!"_** Ichigo's scream rent the air as he clawed at the white that emerged from his eyes and mouth, and crept over his face like a mask. No matter how hard he fought, though, it kept reforming, spreading faster, corrupting his willpower more and more with every second.

"Leave Ichigo out of this," Kisuke said, taking off his hat. "Come on, Aizen, send your most recent experiment at me. I'll dissect it faster than you can blink."

"Very well," Aizen leaned forward and pressed a button on the console before him, "on your own head be it."

Faster than fast, the hybrid hollow struck at Kisuke, who met the creature's blade with his own. Benihime shrieked as the hollow ran the blade of his sword along Kisuke's. Sparks flew as the shopkeeper was pushed back little by little, his clogs digging into the dirt as their guards met.

"You're certainly a quick one, Kazue," Kisuke smiled, earning himself a guttural grunt from the creature. The shopkeeper disengaged, parrying one strike before jumping over another. He landed on his feet, but in his hand he held a balloon. He put it to his lips and blew, and a second Kisuke Urahara formed, completely identical to the original.

The balloon duplicate fought like the real thing, and metal rang out against metal as Kisuke yawned and took a little break. With a devilish grin, he pulled a syringe from his coat and stuck Ichigo in the neck. The white that poured from his mouth and eyes, which had been threatening to overtake him, suddenly vanished. Ichigo swayed where he stood, his amber eyes changing back to brown in the literal blink of an eye as he staggered sideways and fell to his knees. Rukia caught him, hauling him back to his feet with some difficulty as he tried to focus, blinking heavily as his eyelids drooped.

His glazed eyes locked on Kisuke accusatorily. "What the fuck was that?"

"A powerful sedative," the lanky blonde replied with a smile. "You can't be mad when you're about to fall asleep, can you?"

A loud pop caught Kisuke's attention, and he turned in time to find Black's sword cutting through his midsection. Not his own _personal_ midsection, but the one on his balloon doppelganger. Kisuke took the opportunity to sweep a hand over the blade of his sword.

"Screech, Benihime," he muttered, "the Red Princess. She who bathes in the blood of the innocent, and always takes more than she gives."

Kisuke scowled at the demi hollow in the instant it burst through the balloon dummy. Tapping into the part of himself that he had long since suppressed, the shopkeeper looked at his opponent with an eye of scientific criticism. It was a part of him that was more indulgent, and less attached to his morals and ethics, which desired to know everything. He wanted to break the hollow down, cut it into little neatly labeled pieces of flesh, and then stich it back together in a way that made it better, made it stronger, and made more sense to the mad scientist that lurked beneath his calm and peaceful persona.

 _'Take whatever you want from me, Princess,'_ Urahara thought solemnly _. 'This poor man doesn't deserve the fate that's been forced upon him.'_

"Bankai! Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame!"

Kisuke levelled his sword at the demi hollow, taking in the structure of the person encased in the ivory armor. Beneath the anomaly, he thought he could sense the young man's spiritual pressure. He could just sense the person beneath the perversion Aizen had forced upon him. A simple sword could not cut through such horrid corruption, but a bankai would be able to do what a shikai could not.

"And just like that," Aizen said to himself, his fingers tapping excitedly at the arm of his chair, "this battle… is mine."

The red spot in the center of the hollow's forehead split down the middle, and then slid back into two little panels like a reptile opening its eye. Instead of a long, slanted iris, there was a star in the center of the eye; a cross with five points that took the shopkeeper a second to recognize.

"Dammit Kisuke, seal your bankai!" Yoruichi hollered. "He's going to steal it from you!"

But it was too late, the bankai was already active. Even as Kisuke felt his technique reach the critical levels it required to function, it winked out of existence. The enormous fair skinned woman in red that had been hovering over him ominously gave a tired sigh, and was sucked wholly into the medallion set into the demi hollow's mask.

Though the traitor's face could not be seen, his voice was rich with satisfaction. "Leave it to the Quincy to develop the perfect means to render a soul reaper powerless. Not only have you lost your one chance to separate Kazue and Black, but you no longer have a means to stitch yourself back together should you be mortally wounded."

"I suppose I have to give you some credit," Kisuke tapped his sword on his shoulder, "not only did you fuse a soul reaper and a hollow, you managed to incorporate Quincy technology in there as well. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you deliberately made a more obedient clone of Ichigo. You can deny it all you like, but your creations speak for themselves."

"The substitute soul reaper was a fascinating case study, but regardless of how well he danced to my tune, there is no more music to be had." Aizen leaned forward in his seat, gripping the arms of his chair. "You have all sealed your collective fates, and now I have no choice but to eliminate each and every one of you."

The conversation stopped when Ichigo stepped forward, swaggering heavily from side to side as he fought the powerful effects of whatever drug had just been shot into his bloodstream. In the instant his hollow had ceased to have any control over him, Ichigo found his fear had fled. In place of all of this, a wave of soft calm and assurance blanketed him. For the moment, he felt like his old self from three years ago. Calm, collected, and dead set on his goal; which, at the moment, was to protect everyone he cared about. He found it odd how so much could change over the years, while something so basic might not.

"You're wasting your breath," Ichigo quietly told the shopkeeper. "Aizen isn't someone who can be reasoned with. You can't convince him he's wrong, or even make him see the error of his ways. It isn't in his nature."

"Your words carry more wisdom than they imply," the traitor's voice warbled through his connection with the demi hollow. "But your inability to see past morality and face the grander truth is what will ultimately be your undoing."

Holding out a hand, Ichigo extended his heart with it, searching with his spirit energy to find the being that had stood with him in the face of all adversity.

 _'C'mon Zangetsu,'_ he thought _. 'We've got people that are depending on us.'_

An echoing blast radiated from somewhere deeper in the facility, and smoke rose from the already damaged school building that Ichigo had been in earlier. Zangetsu had been propped against the wall of the classroom, and from the sounds it was making, it didn't just fly through the window.

It came howling through the air, it's large, heavy blade cleaving the wind in frenzy as it spun like a boomerang, headed right for its master. Rukia dragged Karin to the ground to avoid the sword as it flew over their heads, missing them by mere inches. Ichigo caught the blade without looking, and immediately felt a sense of rightness in the world. This is how it had always been: just him and Zangetsu, standing fast against an endless tide of enemies.

 _'Don't think I didn't notice you almost taking my wife's head off,'_ Ichigo thought crossly, _'watch where you're going from now on.'_

 _'Apologies,'_ Zangetsu's deep voice rumbled. ' _When I realized Aizen had found you I panicked.'_

' _But did ya have to take out the school building? Yoruichi's family owns this place, you know. I can't pay them back for the damages.'_

 _'Debts can be repayed, and buildings repaired, but life cannot be regained so easily, Ichigo.'_

"Fine," the redhead gripped the hilt of Zangetsu with both hands and brought the blade up across his chest. "Let's get to it, then. Banka-"

 _Smack!_ Ichigo staggered forward, having been struck on the back of the head by none other than Rukia, who glowered at him.

"Fool!" she said loudly. "If you use your bankai, it'll be stolen, just like Kisuke's!"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, frowning. "Dammit all, why do you always have to hit me?"

"Did you not hear a word I just said?!" Rukia exclaimed.

"Yeah, I did, and I'm not a fool!" Ichigo snapped. "I can sense that Quincy medallion, and he's only got one. I'm also betting that in order for him to steal my bankai, he would have to give up Urahara's, which he can't do without risking losing control of Kazue."

"That's a rich bet, considering this is Aizen we're dealing with," Yoruichi muttered, itching at her chin. "Are you sure this is safe?"

"Of course not, but the odds of me getting my bankai stolen are slim. Besides, I think I can channel my Quincy powers enough to resist another of those medallions, if he's hiding one."

Rukia put a hand in the center of Ichigo's back, and warmth flowed through their connection. Ichigo could sense that Rukia was petrified, but while he couldn't blame her, he felt no fear himself. He tried to send that confidence back through the connection.

"It'll be fine," he told her. "I promise."

She bit her lip, remembering the last promise Ichigo had made. He had said that he would come back for her, that he would not leave the Soul Society without her. Even with the odds against him, he had kept his promise.

"I'll hold you too it," she mumbled, stepping back so that she was not in the blast radius of Ichigo's bankai release.

Ichigo turned his head from side to side, cracking his neck and smirking to himself. All he had to do was break the medallion, and Kisuke could finish the fight before it even had a chance to begin.

"Bankai!" he proclaimed, slashing Zangetsu through the air and feeling the powerful reishi of the Shihouin Training Facility rush into him. Power coursed through his veins as his bankai took effect. His robes changed, becoming high collared with frayed edges. His blood red obi and undershirt were crisscrossed by black strips of cloth, which complimented the black and red boots and gauntlets he wore. Ichigo took a breath, and when he released it, the vortex of powerful reishi that had temporarily obscured him from sight vanished. His Tensa Zangetsu seemed different, though not in any visibly discernable way. It was almost as if Ichigo had always been looking at the sword through fuzzy lenses, and it had suddenly come into focus. All of the jagged edges and hard lines seemed entirely new to him, but the feeling of the sword, and the spirit within it, was just as familiar and comforting as ever.

Across the way, the hollow stood stock still. The only sign that he had noted the transformation were his eyes, which bored into Ichigo with unflinching intensity.

 ** _"Rrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaa_** ," the hollow warbled, his fingers tightening about the hilt of Kazue's sword as he prepared for an attack.

But Ichigo wasted no time, he was already on the move. He flash stepped, appearing next to the hollow before his afterimage had even fully disappeared from where he had been standing previously, but something was wrong. Ichigo was frozen in place, shaking like a man who'd accidentally stepped on a live wire. The tip of the Tensa Zangetsu was less than an inch from the medallion in the demi hollow's forehead. Ichigo was so close to it that he could have reached out and plucked it from the mask, if only he weren't frozen in place. His eyes went wide as the anomalous void that was the hybrid's spirit energy began to swirl in earnest, acting as a vacuum to Ichigo's immense reiryoku.

 _'Step away!'_ Tensa Zangetsu warned _, 'that beast is sapping our strength!'_

Ichigo's bankai robes began to disintegrate, unravelling rapidly before his stupefied eyes, but there was nothing he could do. It was like he'd been frozen in place, unable to move or call for help, or even pull away from the demi hollow, who had raised his shield, and was using the gem set within it to absorb Ichigo's spirit energy.

A deep voice cried out, "I'VE GOT YOU, ICHIGO!"

Just as the sleeve of his bankai robe disintegrated and fell away to reveal the shoulder Kazue had scarred during his previous bout with the substitute soul reaper, Ichigo felt a sharp tug at his waist, and he was dragged backward, out of the nefarious effects of the demi hollow's presence.

He stumbled, tripped, and was caught by a very large pair of strong, muscular arms. Chad had saved him from having all of his spirit energy sucked out of his body.

"Thanks for the save, big guy," Ichigo grinned.

Chad flashed a smile. "I've got your back."

The large man was in the middle of helping Ichigo stand up when he suddenly shoved Ichigo back down and dove to the side as two bolts of light shot past them, headed right for the hollow.

"Hado Seventy-Three!" Rukia incanted, thrusting her palms outward, "Soren Sokatsui!"

"Raikoho!" Karin yelled.

The spells narrowly missed Ichigo, and their collective power was enough to make all the small hairs on his body stand on end as they passed. Between the two of them, Rukia and Karin were frighteningly powerful ranged combatants.

But it was all for naught, as the demi hollow simply hefted his shield and let the spells strike its surface. The bolts of light seemed to pause for an instant before being sucked into the violet gem.

"We can't get close," Kisuke scratched at the stubble on his chin, "and that gem in his shield seems to absorb all of our attacks."

"The only thing we can do is try to break it," Yoruichi decided, uncrossing her arms and stretching her legs to get her blood pumping. "Everyone scatter and surround the hollow! Target that shield with your attacks, but don't get too close!"

"Right!" everyone said in unison, immediately moving to surround their enemy.

Rukia dashed to one side as Ichigo went the other way, vanishing as quickly as his flash step allowed. Chad was the slowest, and the largest target, so he took a few steps back and waited for his chance to strike.

Neliel didn't rise to help, though. She was still kneeling on the ground, paralyzed by her own terror. She wanted to fight the hollow, to rip it to shreds. It was in her nature as a hollow to destroy, but the conflict within sprang from a part of her that wanted to save her friends, and get them all to safety. Then Ichigo's little sister appeared, and without any sort of hesitation, she pulled Grimmjow's arm over her shoulders and began to haul him away from the fighting.

"Help me," Karin grunted at Nel, "this guy is like a ton of bricks!"

Neliel blinked. All of her wild urges to slaughter the demi hollow were drowned out by guilt. A human girl with no ties to the arrancar had been willing to carry one out of harm's way. She had done so without worrying about the consequences, or disparaging the difference between humans and hollows. She had simply acted, knowing it was the right thing to do. Why was it that Neliel had struggled to come to that conclusion?

"Yes," Nel stammered. "Yes of course!" Putting her head under Grimmjow's stump and clutching his torso, she helped Karin move the severely wounded arrancar, who spluttered weakly with every step they took. His blood leaked into her long turquoise hair, and filled the air with the tangy scent of iron, but she ignored it, and simply worked towards getting him to safety.

As Aizen reclined in his chair, he allowed himself a moment of unrestrained satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan, and with each attack thrown at the hollow, the people whom had irritated the false nobleman came ever closer to sealing their own demise.

Just as he had anticipated, Kazue's rage and guilt made him an excellent specimen for hollowfication experimentation, and the results were well worth it. Every move the hollow made was carefully controlled and analyzed, designed to combat anything the group of rebels may decide to try. He was, in essence, a weapon: painstakingly designed with the express intent of killing everyone who dared defy Aizen's will.

Black's nature as a hollow cried out at him to retaliate, to lash out at the people who surrounded him and bombarded him with attacks from every side, but he did no such thing. The beast pivoted, taking each attack as it came, and absorbing it into the shield.

But as it spun, keeping on the defensive, Aizen spotting something troubling. Through the smoke and flashes of light, he saw Ichigo and Kisuke flash stepping past each other. The scientist's mouth moved, but Aizen could not hear the word's he'd spoken. It lasted only an instant, and was over so quickly that no one save Aizen would have even been able to notice the exchange.

But even if he hadn't heard what was said, Aizen was no fool. It was not hard for one of such outstanding intelligence to follow such a basic train of thought.

"They're going for a synchronized attack," he muttered quietly, resting his chin on his knuckles.

It was the most basic tactic of the soul reapers to flank their target. When that failed, they did one of two things: either they amplified their powers, or they struck in unison with allies, much in the way ants might overcome a spider. Seeing as Kisuke and Kurosaki had already pushed themselves to their limits, it was inevitable that they try for a unified offensive.

It took a few moments of anticipation, but through his connection to Black, Aizen heard someone call out for the rebels to scatter.

Combat ceased, and the hollow growled as he realized he was faced with three opponents. On one side was Ichigo, and across from him was Kisuke. Dead in front of him was Chad.

Ichigo braced his arm and tightened his grip on the Tensa Zangetsu. "Getsugaaa…."

"Screech," Kisuke pointed his sword at the hollow.

Chad flexed his left hand, and energy crackled at the tips of his stark white fingers, "La…"

Aizen smirked. "It's useless."

"TENSHOU!" Ichigo's pitch black reiatsu flashed around him.

Scarlet spirit energy crackled along the edge of Kisuke's blade. "BENIHIME!"

"MEURTE!" Chad clenched his fist, and released all of his power in a single blow.

The energies collided and swirled around the hollow, who faded from view with an inhuman roar. Red and white meshed with black as a great spire of reishi rose towards the sky. Then it pierced the ground, and cleaved through the stone like it was nothing. The world shook as a great portion of the cliff face overlooking the forest broke free and tumbled downward, into the trees. The power of the combined attack sent great cracks up the walls of the buildings of the Shihouin Training Facility and shattered their windows. The trees bent fervently beneath the concussive force of the blast. From the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw the tree he and Rukia had sat beneath that morning slowly give way and fall over the edge as well.

The column of black energy vanished, and the rumbling stopped. Dust clogged the air and made it hard to breath. Then, out of the smoke and ashes, a strange form loomed.

"We're not out of the woods yet," Urahara grumbled, readying his zanpakuto once more.

Hovering where the hollow had been standing was a strange violet cocoon shot through with white webbing. It shifted, sounding like leather scraping over leather, and the demi hollow slowly unfolded its bat-like wings from around itself, revealing that it had taken no damage whatsoever.

"Dammit all," Ichigo growled, blinking heavily as he fought the effects of the sedative that sapped his strength.

"How are we supposed to stop that thing?" Chad wondered. "Its hierro is unlike that of any hollow I've faced. Between the three of us, we should have at least done _something_ to him."

"It's hard to tell from under that mask," Kisuke observed, "but I think we only managed to piss him off."

 ** _"HYAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH!"_** Black bellowed, causing even more rocks to fall from the cliff face.

"W-What's it doing?" Rukia wondered, having retreated towards the buildings when the cliff was shorn away.

All of the reishi in the Shihouin Training Facility pulsed and throbbed violently as it began to pull towards the hollow. The anomaly that was the void of his spiritual pressure acted as a vacuum, sucking in all of the powerful reishi that fell from the Spirit King's palace. The sky grew dark as great clouds developed over head, and the wind raged as the trees in the forest trembled, shaking the loose leaves from their bony branches.

Aizen's voice came through the hollow, "This is Black's most powerful ability. He perpetually absorbs reishi from his surroundings, and from unwary opponents. As a result, he is the perfect opposite to Ichigo's brute force. All of this spirit energy is stored in an external medium-"

"The gem on his shield," Kisuke guessed.

"-and is instantaneously released when he utilizes his Resurreccion."

Kisuke, who's pale complexion was already bordering on the edge of unhealthy, instantly turned a few shades whiter as his eyes went wide. "You've turned him into a living atom bomb!"

Aizen smirked. "And now you understand why I chose to utilize a proxy, rather than be there myself."

Kisuke turned away from the hollow and caught Yoruichi's eye, looking more serious than anyone had ever seen him. "Take everyone and get the hell out of here! GO!"

"I'm afraid it's too late for a retreat," Aizen said. "Black, you may now release your Ressureccion."

 ** _"Hrrrrrgn,"_** the hollow growled in affirmation. His golden eyes burned brightly against his black sclera, and then the gem on his shield shattered. Before anyone could move, or speak, or even begin to feel afraid, the Shihouin Training Facility was engulfed in a bright flash of violet light.

Yoruichi stood, transfixed by horror, her jaw agape as everything around her was destroyed. Buildings, trees, the earth, even the reishi-rich waterfall were all swallowed up and vaporized by the explosion, which popped her eardrums, and burned itself deeper into her eyes every time she blinked. The hollow was gone, as was everything else. The only reason that she and her allies hadn't been swallowed up by the blast was because of the dark silhouette that held it at bay.

Kisuke Urahara, his bankai now defunct, held his sword, Benihime, horizontally, with one hand on the hilt, and the other gripping the tip of the blade. A barrier of scarlet light was all that stood between the raging light, and everyone else.

His clogs dug into the earth beneath him, every muscle in his body braced against the force of the hybrid's final attack. Blisters began to appear on his fingers and hands through the barrier he'd erected.

"Kisuke!" Yoruichi cried.

Ichigo called out, "Hat n' Clogs!"

Rukia shielded her eyes from the swirling violet reishi and yelled, "Mr. Urahara!"

"GO!" he bellowed in response, his voice cracking with strain, "RUN! TAKE THE PALANQUIN AND GOOOOOO!"

The blisters were up to his elbows, and the scent of burning flesh was strong. He clenched his jaw as he was pushed back, inch by steady inch, back towards where Ichigo, Yoruichi, and everyone else were still standing. His throat tightened as he fought the urge to scream out in agony. The tips of his fingers were numb, and Kisuke knew why; there were no nerve endings left in them, only stark white bones that were rapidly turning black.

But when he turned back, no one had moved. They were all too stunned.

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!"

That seemed to jog Yoruichi's thought process. She snapped her fingers and the palanquin they had arrived in materialized with a pop. Chad, Karin, Nel, and Rukia all worked together to load the wounded arrancars into the palanquin first. It took only seconds, but to Kisuke it felt like hours. His thoughts were thick and slow. His legs shook, and a vein in his neck bulged as his arms threatened to give out.

 _'Not that there's much left of them anyway_ ,' Urahara thought wryly.

Ichigo and Yoruichi were the last to board. The substitute soul reaper looked like he wanted to help, but Yoruichi took him by the crook of his arm and dragged him back towards the palanquin.

She paused closing the door, and Kisuke heard her speak over the rush of the power that threatened to engulf him.

"I love you, Kisuke!"

The scientist laughed. Even as he watched his skin burn away and his bones turn to ash. His eyes watered, but it wasn't entirely from the pain.

"Yeah," he called to her, "I know! I figured that out a while ago!"

The door of the palanquin closed with a loud snap, and then, at long last, it was gone.

But in the moment it vanished, the blackened and burned blade in Kisuke's hand shattered, and the barrier that had kept him alive winked out of existence. Kisuke grinned and went limp as his broken and burned body was tossed skyward by the explosion. In that moment, where pain overwhelmed him, and he retreated further into himself to escape it, he found some measure of peace.

 _'Even with all that planning at your disposal, you fail to consider the power of the human heart, Aizen,'_ Kisuke thought smugly.

In the end, that alone was what had given him the power to singlehandedly hold back the blast; to stand when all he wanted was to fall. His desire to protect those he cared for had given him an edge even Aizen could not fully comprehend and plan for. This was their only hope.

He also realized it was this same desire to protect that made Ichigo so strong. Even in his final moments, Kisuke could not help but to be amused that someone so young could still teach him something entirely new.

"Good luck, everyone" he said, his words dying before in the maelstrom of the reishi around him, "and Yoruichi… I love you too…."

* * *

In the end, and in ages to come, that part of the forest would be forever uninhabitable. It was as though the Spirit King himself had reached out with mighty hands, and simply scooped away the entirety of the Shihouin Training Facility, leaving nothing but a vast crater of charred earth and grey ash surrounded by a wide area of dead trees.

* * *

Captain Commander Kyoraku sat in his balcony office at the end of another long day, the light of the setting sun painting the room with deep reds and even deeper shadows. The beauty of the sunset, however, was lost on him, and stress fatigued him like never before. When he had previously fought Aizen, it had been a distant threat, something he could brush off. Now he was the Head Captain, and the threat was much, much closer than before.

All it would take was one little slip up and everything would fall to pieces.

 _'Leave it to Aizen to make things difficult,'_ Kyoraku thought to himself. _'I can practically feel myself sprouting grey hairs.'_

He absently curled a lock of his dark brown hair around his finger, wondering how long it would take before he began to look like Old Man Yama. How long would it be before the brown turned to silver, and the silver faded to white? It was hard for Kyoraku to picture himself as old and grouchy, but… well, it had probably been hard for Yamamoto to picture himself as old when he was Kyoraku's age. As for being grouchy, the old man had always been possessed of a short temper.

A knock on the door put a pin in his reverie, and he frowned as the voice of the Second Division Captain came from the other side.

"Head Captain? Are you there?"

"Come in, Soifon," he called. "I was just-uh- doing paperwork."

In truth, not one of the reports on his desk had been gone through. He'd tried to start reading them, but it was no use. Every time he started reading, worrisome thoughts clouded his mind, and he came to ten minutes later realizing he hadn't made it past the third paragraph of a ten page report on the rebuilding of the Seireitei.

The door opened and closed, and the setting sun cast shadows across Soifon's inscrutable face. When she came to a halt before Kyoraku, she took a knee and said, "Sir, my scouts have picked up a number of incredibly powerful spiritual pressures in the private land holdings of the Shihouin Clan, far to the east."

The Head Captain braced his head with his palms, his elbows on his desk as he gave a sigh. "It's them, isn't it?"

Soifon nodded. "Yes, sir. Every single one of the fugitives has been accounted for. They seem to be locked in combat as we speak, and I have men monitoring the situation, ready to pursue them from a distance."

Kyoraku drummed his fingers upon the desk solemnly before pulling open a drawer and rummaging around within it. Then he pulled out three scrolls. Each was made of heavy yellow parchment, furled up so tightly that one might wonder whether they would ever come loose, and then sealed with wax stamped with the Head Captain's seal, and neatly tied with black ribbons.

"Captain Soifon, you will continue to have your men monitor the situation, but they are not to interfere. Take these scrolls to Byakuya Kuchiki. Have him open the scroll that has been marked as his and read the orders contained within immediately. Afterward, he is to follow those orders to the letter, with absolutely no deviation, and destroy the scroll."

"And the other scrolls sir?"

"Leave them in his care as well, but he is not to open either of them. He will know what to do with them as soon as he reads his orders."

"Is there anything else?"

Kyoraku paused, noting the begrudging acceptance in Soifon's voice. She hated being used as a messenger, but there was no one else who could be trusted.

"No. After the scrolls are delivered, you may continue with your other duties. You are dismissed."

"Sir!" With a shimmer, the Commander of the Stealth Force flash stepped away.

The Head Captain dug his fingers into his temple, trying to alleviate the migraine that was quickly becoming quite severe.

"Nanao?" he called.

"Here sir," came a quiet voice from his side.

He jumped as his niece emerged from the shadows behind his desk, where she had been standing the entire time. He had been so distracted that he had nearly forgotten she was there, making sure he didn't slack from his duties.

"Fetch Orihime Inoue and Uryu Ishida," he gulped, trying to calm his racing heart. "Escort them to the Squad Six Headquarters. Captain Kuchiki will be expecting them."

"Anything else?"

"Tell them good luck. And that I'm sorry."

Nanao peered at her uncle inquisitively, but he did not meet her eyes. Instead, he opened a different drawer of his desk, and fished out that old bottle of his birthday sake- or what was left of it.

"Should you _really_ be drinking?" Nanao asked exasperatedly. She recovered her manners quickly enough to stammer out a, "Sir?"

Ignoring his niece's concern, Kyoraku smiled lightly. The illusion was ruined as his hands shook violently as he poured himself a glass, and drained it within seconds. The way he guzzled the liquor was reminiscent of a parched man drinking water.

"Sir? What's… is everything alright?" Nanao took a knee next to Shunsui, her voice far gentler than it had been moments ago.

"Well, how do I put this… you know that I've always been something of a gambler?" he asked, pouring himself another glass. His lieutenant looked on with worry as he threw it back and gulped it down without fail.

She frowned, "What does your proclivity for poker have to do with anything?"

Shunsui laid his head on the desk, waiting for the liquor to kick in and dull his piercing headache. Licking his lips, he mumbled, "It's relevant because I've just gambled the lives of everyone in the Soul Society on a plan that has very little chance of succeeding."

Nanao turned as pale as the pages of a book as the blood drained from her face.

"Why would you do such a thing?" she wondered.

"Because," Kyoraku reasoned, "it's likely the only chance we have."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **mfw you read through this chapter seventy times and still find basic punctuation errors=**_

 _ **Welcome back the the shit show ladies and gents, Kisuke Urahara just fucking died and I'm all up in my feelings. I had this planned shortly after his english voice actor passed away. Only a year or so too late, but that's what you get when all you do is work, eat, sleep and repeat.**_

 _ **This is also a shorter chapter, and let me tell you, I've got ideas up the wazoo for this story. Unfortunately, the ending was thrown into jeopardy (kind of) so writing may have to come to a complete halt while I figure out what the hell to do about it. Either that, or I just stick with my original plan. We'll see.I'm gonna wrap this up because I'm tired. Here's some music to sob too while you try to get over another needless character death.**_

 _ **Oh, and I guess Kazue died too. rip**_

 _ **Music:**_

 _ **Memories-Maroon 5 (This one goes out to my guy Kisuke, the realest og in bleach)**_

 _ **Skin and Bones- Lund (more sad shit from my favorite rapper oh god oh fuk)**_

 _ **The Unforgiven II- Metallica (what happened to all the happy music on this playlist holy shit)**_

 _ **Until It Sleeps-Metallica (reminds me of Ichigo's hollow)**_

 _ **I Just Know-Jacob Lee (New Immunity Remix)**_

 _ **Underdog-The Script (There's a band I haven't heard in a long time *takes drag from cigarette*)**_

 _ **Demons-Alec Benjamin (Another for Ichigo's hollow)**_

 _ **Airplanes Pt. 2 -B.o.B. ft. Eminem, Haley Williams (takes me back)**_

 _ **Failure-Breaking Benjamin (Aurora Version) ft. Michael Barnes (This whole album is fire)**_

 _ **Villain-Wildfire (Song for best villain, Aizen, who gives me a migraine because I feel like I can't write his deviousness well enough)**_

 _ **That's all I've got. Here's to you, the readers, to twenty one chapters, and to whatever comes next.**_


	22. Banishment

The palanquin struck ground, but everyone who was conscious was far too tired or bereaved to land on their feet. Ichigo hit the floor hard as dots of light crisscrossed his gaze, and he bit back a cuss as something hard struck his forehead.

When his eyes adjusted to the low light, he realized that Rukia was lying on top of him, rubbing her forehead, which struck against Ichigo's. She felt heavier than usual, no doubt due to the sedative Ichigo had been injected with, but she was shaking all over. She rolled off Ichigo and met his eyes, and Ichigo winced when he saw she looked to be on the verge of tears.

The sounds of movement were slow coming, and dispersed between groans of effort as the survivors picked themselves up. The inside of the palanquin was filled with dust and ash, and the horrific scent of burning hair and flesh was strong. From off to the side, Ichigo heard his sister retch.

The couple lifted themselves from the floor of the palanquin and made their way outside. They stood in a wooded clearing, and as the dusk turned to night, stars began to twinkle in the darkness.

Fabric flapped as Karin and Neliel, Grimmjow slung between them, practically fell out of the palanquin, dust swirling in eddies as they coughed and spluttered.

Chad came out and had both Sung-Sun and Apacci slung over each of his broad shoulders, moving gingerly as he limped out into the night and knelt in the clearing. The big guy had a line of blood running from his temple to his chin, and his spirit energy was dangerously low. His massive limbs shivered and shook as he took several deep breaths.

Yoruichi was the last to exit the palanquin. Her hair had come unbound, and flowed loosely down her shoulders, but otherwise, she looked physically sound. The dullness in her eyes masked the inner workings of her mind as she processed her grief.

"Hey, Yoruichi, any idea where we are?" Ichigo plied the noblewoman.

Rukia elbowed him, her eyes flashing a warning, but Ichigo elbowed her right back, and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"We need to keep her preoccupied," he said in an undertone. "It's the best thing for her right now."

Rukia shook her head adamantly, but stopped when Yoruichi turned to look at them. The dark skinned woman began to pat the dust off her clothes before finally deigning to speak.

"We're about ten klicks north of the Shihouin Training Facility," Yoruichi said evenly, brushing the dust from her knees. "The palanquin is difficult to control for me. Kisuke was the one who usually does it."

Karin began to work at healing Grimmjow and the others, and Neliel looked on helplessly, the light in her eyes almost as dim as Yoruichi's as she wrapped her arms about her person.

"What's our next move?" asked Chad, having laid the injured next to each other by Karin and Nel.

"I don't-" Yoruichi began, only to be cut off when several members of the Stealth Force appeared around the clearing.

At once, the fugitives were surrounded by men with their zanpakuto drawn. Their faces were covered, and they wore the traditional slim fitting uniforms of the Stealth Force. There was no way out for them.

The fugitives were just as fast, thanks in part to their adrenaline. No sooner had they been surrounded, they had already formed a perimeter around their injured allies. Rukia had bared her steel, as had Ichigo. Yoruichi had her arms crossed, as if daring anyone to try and hurt her allies. Chad's Fullbring had been activated, making him even more imposing than normal. Karin had her hand raised, her arm braced, taking aim as she prepared to cast a spell.

"Give up," came a soft, familiar tone that made Rukia nervous in the extreme, "you are completely surrounded."

"Brother," she whispered.

From outside the ring of Stealth Force members, Byakuya Kuchiki entered the clearing. Trailing along behind the captain was one of the strangest groups Ichigo had ever laid his eyes on.

"Wha- Orihime, Uryu, what are you guys doing with Byakuya?"

The both of them looked pale, as if they hadn't been outside in days. Orihime's eyes clung to Ichigo, and she felt something in her heart squirm unpleasantly at the sight of him.

Coming up from behind Uryu and Orihime, Renji Abarai and Isane Kotetsu emerged from the tree line. The Captain of the Fourth Division raised a hand in greeting at Ichigo.

"Looks like there are some people in your group that need some healing," she said seriously. "May I?"

Ichigo's eyes flickered back and forth. If he moved to allow Isane to heal the arrancars, anyone from the Stealth Force could rush in for an attack. Then he pushed that thought aside. His bankai was slowly recovering, and even with a sedative still making it hard to react, he was far faster than any one there, save perhaps Yoruichi and Byakuya.

He lowered the Tensa Zangetsu and nodded, stepping aside so that Isane could enter the encirclement of fugitives. As she passed him by, she gently clapped him on the shoulder, giving him a kind smile. Neliel watched Isane work out of the corner of her eye, careful to make sure the Captain didn't do anything to hurt the arrancars.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Byakuya murmured, coming to a standstill before the substitute soul reaper.

"Brother, stay your blade!" Rukia was suddenly in front of Ichigo, her limbs splayed as she shielded him with her body. "We can explain!"

"Don't," Byakuya said. "There are too many people here, listening to our every word. Suffice it to say that the Captains of the Gotei Thirteen are well aware of the situation."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed as someone appeared behind him in a flash. It was Yoruichi, and the dull light in her eyes had become a fury so intense that they almost seemed to glow yellow.

"Lady Yoruichi-" Rukia's words caught in her throat as the woman shot her a blood curdling glare.

"What is the meaning of this, Shihouin?" Byakuya asked calmly as the cat lady's claws pricked the nape of his neck.

The rasp of a blade being drawn was loud as Renji drew Zabimaru, but Byakuya raised a hand, and the lieutenant froze.

"Apparently there are some things the Thirteen Court Guard Squads are as of yet unaware of," Yoruichi said, "chief of which is that there is a monster flitting about the Seireitei, masquerading as a nobleman."

Byakuya's jaw clenched as he felt Yoruichi's claws on his neck, but he showed no fear. His face was impassive as he muttered, "That monster is the reason I am here. The Head Captain has commanded that I rendezvous with your party in secret, because we have a common enemy."

Yoruichi's breath was warm on Byakuya's ear as she lowered her voice. "You know that… he… is free?"

"Why else would I have come to you with my sword in its sheathe? We are running out of time."

"Brother," Rukia said, "what do you mean?"

That's when Orihime and Uryu stepped forward as well.

"He can't go into details," the Quincy interjected. "It would compromise the plan."

Orihime perked right up, and put her fist into her palm, "That's right! We have a plan to stop Ai-mmph!"

Uryu clamped a hand over the girl's mouth until she realized what she had almost let slip.

"Sorry," she said bashfully

"But then," Chad's fists slowly sank to his sides, "you guys know? That means we're not enemies."

Yoruichi released Byakuya, who frowned and straightened his shihakusho and haori. Yoruichi, however, leaned on one leg and crossed her arms, her lips pursed.

"So now what? You've come to fetch Ichigo like a good little captain?"

Byakuya turned his attention to the substitute soul reaper, who was still being shielded from him by Rukia.

"Not exactly."

"Then what's this about Byakuya? In case it's escaped your notice, everybody here is a little too beat to be mincing words or messing around with cloak and dagger. So why don't you just tell us what we need to know and get the hell out of here."

Ichigo's head echoed with the sounds of Urahara's desperate pleas, but he shook himself and met the steely eye of the Sixth Division Captain, who slowly looked around the clearing and took a headcount.

"You're missing one," he observed with a frown. "Urahara isn't here."

"He's dead," Yoruichi stated coldly. "He stayed behind to save us from that monster we were discussing."

"Hm," the lines around Byakuya's eyes grew a little deeper, "I see. You have my sincerest condolences."

"Shove them up your ass," spat Yoruichi. "And tell us why you're here."

"Wait a minute," Orihime mumbled, "you guys are saying that Mr. Urahara is-"

"Dead!" Yoruichi said loudly, her pupils changing to become longer and thin, like those of a cat. "He's dead! How many times do I have to say it before it sinks into your thick skulls!"

Orihime's lip trembled, and Uryu glowered at Yoruichi, who looked mortified at what she'd done. Everyone in the clearing looked away. Ichigo stared at the ground, his heart hurting for the woman who had just lost her lover. He wanted to tell her off for yelling at Orihime, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. If Rukia had been the one to die, he wouldn't have handled it nearly as well.

"I… I'm sorry," the noblewoman said, walking up to Orihime and hugging her. "I'm sorry, Orihime… I….."

Her words left her, and Yoruichi began to tremble, only to be enveloped in a hug by Orihime, and then Uryu. The noblewoman sank to her knees, but they stayed with her, holding her as she quietly sobbed.

"I am here because of these," Byakuya held out two scrolls, which Rukia took from him. "They are orders from Captain Commander Kyoraku, laying out a plan that he intends to enact very soon."

"Orders from the Head Captain?" Rukia wondered.

"They are to remained sealed until each of you returns to the world of the living. They may be opened there, preferably in a safe location."

The sobbing stopped. Every one of the fugitives (save the ones whom had been severely injured during the hollow's attack) instantly grew silent and stared at Byakuya like he was crazy.

"Go back to the world of the living?!" Ichigo asked. "What the hell, Byakuya?!"

"Did I misspeak? If so allow me to correct myself," the nobleman said haughtily. "Each and every one of you has been banished from the Soul Society. Especially you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Outrage. Anger. Dismay. Ichigo felt all of these things in equal measure, but he knew that Byakuya would not joke or lie about something like this.

"Banished?" Ichigo asked, clearly shaken by the news.

Byakuya nodded. "Under pain of death. The only way for you to repeal your banishment is for you to comply with the orders given to you by the Head Captain."

Ichigo's forehead was wrinkled as he frowned at the captain. He wanted to say there was a mistake, or claim that there was no reason for him to be banished, but it wasn't true. He'd fought against soul reapers to save Rukia, he'd defied the Head Captain, hell, he'd even shrugged off his execution like it was no big deal. There was every reason for him to be banished.

But the iron hard knot in his gut fortified his indignance. They would banish him? Ichigo? The guy who'd saved their lives, and the Soul Society in its entirety? It made him sick to his stomach, it made him so angry that he felt as if he were on fire, but the worst part of it was that he actually felt a little sympathy for Aizen. He, too, had helped in the fight against Yhwach, and had still been imprisoned afterward, with no changes to his sentence. No, the traitorous captain's one good deed done for the wrong reasons did not absolve him of his other horrible crimes. But it did make Ichigo feel he understood the guy a little better. And this only served to terrify him.

 _'Don't compare me to that bastard,'_ Ichigo recalled telling Tensa Zangetsu. If the sword had any inkling of his current thoughts, the spirit inside was probably smirking to himself.

"Why was I banished?" Ichigo gestured to himself. "After all I've done?!"

"Perhaps," the nobleman said coldly, fixing Ichigo with a deadpan glare, "it is because the Head Captain has finally recognized that you are nothing but a liability. Or maybe, just maybe, he knows that you would not leave if he asked you to, because you are as immature as you are reckless."

The scorching hot ire in Ichigo's stomach swelled, and anger seeped into his spiritual pressure, making the clearing go frighteningly cold. He stepped forward and seized Byakuya by the collar of his haori. The captain's only reaction was to scowl a little deeper.

"Say that again," Ichigo muttered through gritted teeth.

His hollow was not to blame. His words were his own, and they felt oh so good leaving his tongue. Byakuya had only ever looked down on him, and Ichigo was itching to hurt something, if only to deal with the grief of losing a friend.

"Listening has never been a strong suit of yours, Kurosaki, so I will speak a little slower, so that I need not repeat everything I say," Byakuya pushed his face into Ichigo's. They were so close they could have kissed, but the air between them was charged with murderous intent instead of passion. When their noses were almost touching, Byakuya murmured, "You are a danger to yourself and to everyone around you. Death and destruction follow in your wake, and you fail to see the big picture. Captain Commander Kyoraku knows this, and he knows you are as foolish as you are stubborn. For the plan to work, you need to return to the world of the living, and so you have been banished, for your own good, and the good of the Soul Society."

One second passed, then two. Yoruichi was crying again, once more being comforted by Orihime and Uryu, both of whom she was quietly catching up with. The injured arrancars were still being tended to, and were in rough shape. Everyone had just barely survived a run in with Aizen's most recent creation, which had killed not one, but two powerful soul reapers; both Urahara, and Kazue.

And now here was Byakuya, telling Ichigo that he was banished.

The substitute soul reaper raised a fist, his expression one of rage unbound.

Rukia saw what was happening before she could even begin to try and stop it, and she yelled, "Ichigo, NO!"

He was upon Byakuya in an instant, the Tensa Zangetsu all but forgotten. Before the captain could draw his blade, Ichigo had landed a blow and tackled him to the ground. They rolled as they fought, each one trying to gain the upper hand.

Ichigo's rage made him immune to the strikes Byakuya aimed at his face, only serving to make him angrier. A well-aimed hit to the temple made him see stars. He swore and head-butted Byakuya on the nose, breaking it and causing blood to spurt from his nostrils. The captain placed a foot flat upon the ground and got the leverage to twist, forcing Ichigo underneath him as he unleashed his frustrations on the young redhead.

Chad came up to try and help, but wasn't fast enough. Captain Isane shook her head sadly at the display. Karin worked alongside the captain, wanting to help her brother, but still too numb to rise and intercede. The scuffle ended abruptly when Byakuya was dragged off of Ichigo and both men were hauled to their feet by a livid, dark haired soul reaper whose obsidian eyes were now twinkling with angry tears.

"That is ENOUGH!" Rukia bellowed. "The both of you are acting like idiots!"

"He instigated this brawl," Byakuya snipped.

"You are a _captain_!" Rukia shrieked at him. "You should not have struck back, even in anger, brother! And you-"

She yanked on Ichigo's collar to make sure he was paying attention. "What are you thinking attacking Byakuya?! My brother was just following orders! Just because he insulted you by calling you immature does not mean you need to prove him right!"

"I…" Ichigo couldn't meet Rukia's gaze, which made him feel small. Whether it was the pain, or the realization that Urahara was actually dead and gone just now catching up with him, Ichigo felt something hot run down his face, only to find it was not blood, but tears.

Byakuya's lip was split, and blood trailed from his broken nose, which was quickly turning purple. Even battered as he was, he still managed to look down on Ichigo.

"Apologize at once," hissed Rukia at her captives, "or so help me I will…"

"I am the leader of our clan-" Byakuya started before a deathly stare from Rukia silenced him.

"Then behave like it," she told him. "You are held to a higher standard, both as a nobleman, and a captain. You failed in both accounts when attacking Ichigo!"

The high schooler mumbled, "I'm fine Rukia, really."

"Look at yourself!" she rolled her eyes at her husband. "You've been beaten to a pulp, Ichigo!"

He reached up with hands shaking from adrenaline and felt his face, noting that it was puffy and bruised. He had a black eye, a swollen lip, several lumps on his head, three missing teeth, a bloody nose, and, if the pain was anything to go by, a dislocated jaw. If he had a mirror, he doubted he would recognize himself. Fortunately, the sedative and his overall exhaustion made it so that all he felt was a vague throbbing heat in his face and a dull ache in his jaw.

Byakuya heaved a sigh and pointed at Ichigo's face. His fingertip pulsed with spiritual energy as light suffused Ichigo's beaten face, and then what little pain he felt had faded.

"I apologize for causing you harm," Byakuya said at last, looking like the words tasted rather bitter on his tongue.

Ichigo felt his face. The lumps and swelling were gone. His teeth were back, and his jaw did not hurt. Rukia elbowed Ichigo in the ribs, and he extended a hand to Byakuya.

"Sorry, Bya- Captain Kuchiki." Ichigo's voice was gruff and husky, but it was the best he could manage.

The captain reached out hesitantly and took Ichigo's hand, giving it a firm shake. He tensed when he was dragged forward, and Ichigo grabbed his broken nose, setting it properly and healing it with kido in one deft movement.

The warm brown eyes met the cold black ones as Ichigo worked, and like iron in a smelter, the hostility between them melted away.

When the substitute soul reaper was finished, Byakuya felt his nose to find it whole and unbroken. He nodded curtly to Ichigo, who tried to smile, but had some difficulty. His body was sore, his soul was spent, and his heart was aching. In that moment, the only thing he wanted to do was go home.

"I guess we don't have much choice," he reasoned. "And I could definitely use a little break."

Before Ichigo could say anything more, Renji appeared at his captain's side. "Captain Kuchiki, may I speak with Kurosaki in private?"

Renji looked straight at his captain, completely ignoring that fact that Ichigo was right there. As he waited for an answer, a member of the stealth force materialized on the captain's other side and whispered in his ear. Byakuya listened, his eyes flashing about the clearing, and then he nodded.

"She may do as she pleases," the Sixth Division commander said, "just remind her to remain vigilant."

The stealth force member was gone before Ichigo could even muster interest in whatever quiet conversation had just taken place.

"You have five minutes, Lieutenant. Then the Senkaimon will be opened."

"Thank you, sir. C'mon, Ichigo."

Ichigo looked unsure about being led away by Renji. Recently, the two of them hadn't exactly met on friendly terms. He almost wanted to ask Rukia to come with him, but she was still fuming. Besides, Renji had his orders to worry about. He wouldn't have any opportunity to try and attack Ichigo.

As he followed the lieutenant of Squad Six across the clearing, gently pushing their way through the wall of Stealth Force agents, Ichigo saw a flash of movement as none other than Soifon appeared, standing at Yoruichi's side. After a few words, the Stealth Force Commander dropped to her knees as well, throwing her arms around the noblewoman.

"I suppose this is the last time we'll be here," Ichigo said quietly. "For a little while, anyway."

"Yeah," Renji agreed. "Enjoy it while you can."

They stepped out of the clearing, into the brush, and Ichigo immediately cursed his luck, as the uneven ground and plentiful obstacles made following Renji a chore. Fighting while he was drugged was one thing. Muscle memory and reflexes could keep him alive in a fight, but stepping over and under branches, avoiding thorny bushes, and trying not trip was something else altogether. Renji came to a halt by a large tree which had fallen time ago, and now lay rotting.

He took a seat on the fallen tree, his hands clasped as he looked upward at the light of the moon which shone down upon them.

"You were right," he said, still not looking at Ichigo.

"About what?"

"Aizen. Rukia. All of this."

Renji finally met Ichigo's gaze, and the high schooler could sense just how hard this was for the lieutenant.

"Yeah, well, he told me his plan the day of the tea ceremony."

"So you hollowfied to try and save Rukia."

Ichigo closed his eyes and exhaled heavily through his nose. He took a seat on a boulder facing Renji and put his head in his hands, feeling like he could fall asleep where he sat.

"No. I hollowfied because I was terrified I wouldn't be able to save her from him."

There was a tense silence that followed, and Renji looked uncomfortable. His eyes were sunken, with great shadows beneath them from a lack of sleep. He looked like he'd been training extensively, but rather than looking fit and healthy, he looked malnourished and overwhelmed, like the last few days had been hell for him. Given that he'd probably been scared for Rukia, and only fed rumors of what had happened, it was no surprise. For all he might have known, she was dead.

"And then at the wedding…"

"Aizen stabbed Rukia, and I hollowfied again. I lost control… when I woke up, she was dying in my arms. We managed to recuperate for a few hours to heal and lie low, but Kenpachi Zaraki caught up to us and we managed to make a getaway."

Renji smirked, and quietly gave a humorless laugh that sounded more like a wheeze. "You know, I could never understand your hollowfication. I didn't know how someone could be forced to such extremes because they care for someone so deeply. Now though…"

His sunken eyes burned into Ichigo, who felt guilt surge through him in waves. All of that concern, and Renji's current state suddenly made a lot more sense.

"You're still in love with Rukia, aren't you?" Ichigo asked.

The lieutenant laughed again, just as humorless and sad as the first one. The look in his eyes was hard to read, but it only made more sense when he gave his answer.

"I always will be in love with her, Ichigo." He mumbled quietly. "I can't change that. That's actually part of why I wanted to bring you out here to talk."

Renji stood from his log and knelt on the ground, laying Zabimaru across his lap. Even with the blade in his hands, he didn't seem to have the will to use it.

"I never used to doubt myself like this. The only times I ever did were when you got involved. First when Rukia was slated for execution, and then again, when you were convinced Rukia was in danger and her marriage was a sham."

Ichigo shifted slightly, but did not speak.

"You always knew what was best for her, even if no one else did. You two have a bond I can't even begin to fathom, and you always put her needs above your own. I could never do that. My priority has forever been my squad and my captain. But now I think I understand you a little better, Ichigo. I know the lengths to which you would go to protect her. Even so far as to turn yourself into a monster…"

"What are you trying to say, Renji?" Ichigo grumbled. "We don't have much time, y'know."

A smile flashed weakly across the long haired man's lips as he thought, ' _Leave it to Ichigo to make these things difficult.'_

"In that case, I'll come right out and say it," Renji stood up and brushed off the knees of his shihakusho. "I swear on my honor that I will not come between you and Rukia. And I know now that I've been a jackass about this whole thing so… I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it."

Renji seemed taken aback, so much so that his sword fell from his hand. "Wha- that's it?! How can you forgive me so easily?! Have you forgotten that I tried to kill you?!"

"You only had Rukia's best interests at heart, Renji. And apologizing to me like this can't have been easy for a guy as proud as you are. It took a lot of guts." Ichigo shrugged. "So it's fine."

"I don't believe it," Renji said, crossing his arms, "you're really something else, Ichigo."

The substitute shinigami tried to smile, but it felt strange on his face, like a mask. It was almost as if he'd forgotten how it felt to truly smile. He absently combed his fingers through the hair on the back of his head and said, "Not really. I just don't have it in me to be angry right now. I just got the piss beat outta me, Kisuke is gone… and we both have bigger things to worry about."

"You mean Aizen."

Just saying the man's name put a sour taste in Renji's mouth and an equally bitter look on his face. Once more, the Soul Society was about to be embroiled in a war, and the culmination was just around the bend. Both soul reapers gave a little shudder as a shadow seemed to pass over the moon, making the night harshly cold, but only for a second.

"So then… we're cool?" Renji said, sounding unsure.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. No hard feelings."

The two of them began to walk back towards the clearing, listening carefully for any sounds of commotion, but all was quiet. Just as they stepped into the clearing they had arrived in, a large pair of fancy bamboo doors appeared in thin air, opening to reveal a white light through which no eye could pierce. But beyond that door was home, and food, and a warm bed.

Ichigo met Byakuya's eyes, only to find the captain was already watching him. He turned his gaze away when Rukia sidled up to Ichigo and wove her fingers through his.

"What did Renji want?" she asked quietly.

"He apologized."

"Hm. I never would have thought him to be remorseful of his actions. I wonder what changed him," Rukia peered at him for a moment, but in the instant she looked away, Renji's eyes took her in, something sad and longing within them. Then Renji saw Ichigo was watching him, and he nodded solemnly, a quiet understanding passing between them. Ichigo would not tell Rukia about Renji's feelings for her, and Renji would not come between the two of them. It seemed a one sided exchange to Ichigo, but he found he respected the lieutenant a bit more for it.

"It is time to go back." Byakuya declared as Renji fell into line next to him. "Bring in the secondary priority target. Quickly!"

Soifon, whom had been supporting Yoruichi with a shoulder to cry on gently untangled herself and placed a fist to her heart before vanishing. The seconds ticked by, and then a spiritual pressure so incredibly strong that it made Ichigo wince appeared right behind the fugitives whom had gathered before the entrance of the Senkaimon.

Rukia was tugging at Ichigo's sleeve, words unable to express the horror she felt. This spiritual pressure was intense, and fear ran through Ichigo like he'd just been doused in ice water.

"It was a setup," the substitute soul reaper said, drawing his sword from his back and turning to find himself face to face with… someone he'd never seen before.

Ichigo had been expecting Aizen, but this was not him. He wore a standard shihakusho with an unmarked captain's haori, but Ichigo had never met this person before in his life. Something about him seemed eerily familiar. Was this a new captain, or one of Aizen's tricks?

"Ichigo," Rukia gasped, pulling them away from the man, "it's-"

"Aizen," Yoruichi sneered, her pupils becoming long and cat like as she hissed at the man before her.

"Wait," Ichigo's brow furrowed, "this isn't Aizen. Who are you?"

"Are you blind?!" Yoruichi asked incredulously. "He's standing right in front of you!"

That was when a gentle but firm hand clamped down upon Ichigo's shoulder, and Byakuya spoke from behind him. "Do not attack. This is not Aizen, though he will appear to be for everyone who has been affected by the turncoat's shikai."

"I never thought I would get tired of having to introduce myself," the man who looked like Aizen laughed, "but when everyone's first instinct is to hate you… it does become quite the chore."

Yoruichi, whom had been standing at the nobleman's side, slowly began to stalk around him. She put her fingers together so they formed a point and used her spirit energy to reinforce her hand. She struck at the man without care, her only thought revenge as she drove her hand towards the man's lower back, aiming for his spine, which she fully intended to rip out.

That was when a familiar spiritual pressure pervaded the cat woman's senses, and she found her attack had been halted by a hand around her wrist.

"Lady Yoruichi," Soifon breathed in her ear, "this is _not_ the traitor. He had nothing to do with Kisuke's death. I would stake my life on it."

"Then you can die with him."

Yoruichi found herself ensnared, but she was not being pulled away by guards, she was being hugged. Soifon had thrown her arms around Yoruichi's neck, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Enough innocent blood has been shed today," Soifon mumbled. "Lady Yoruichi… do not let your rage blind you."

And with that, Yoruichi shrank back from the nobleman, trembling with adrenaline and newly refreshed tears as Soifon led her away for a short walk around the clearing.

"Brother… are you sure?" Rukia's voice was little more than a whisper. "He looks just like him."

"It's not him," Ichigo insisted. "But then who…"

All the pieces of the puzzle fit together; a greater reiatsu than even the strongest captains; the noble, yet familiar features.

"You must be the real Kamisaigaiku," he surmised. "The one Aizen has been impersonating."

The nobleman clasped his hands behind his back. His smile twitched at the mention of Aizen, as if the name had a bitter story all its own for him.

"Indeed, I am Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku, the shadow of the Spirit King, and commander of his covert forces." The man gave a bow to Ichigo, "and you are the person who saved my life by unraveling this dastardly scheme. I owe you a debt of gratitude, young man."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. Being called 'young man' was something he didn't care for, especially by someone who looked so young themselves.

Hideyoshi was slim built and tall, rather like Byakuya, with long silvery grey hair that was braided by his temples. His face was long, his forehead high, his chin and cheekbones sharp. Bright blue eyes twinkled with joy, but were also deep and unfathomable. Other than his hair, the man seemed timeless. Even under Ichigo's careful scrutiny, not a single wrinkle or line could be found on his face. He might have been twenty or two thousand.

"I was gonna say, this doesn't look like that Aizen guy," Karin noted, scratching at her chin.

The nobleman turned to her. "Ah, another clear sighted individual! What are the odds? I've been in hiding for days now because of Aizen's massive influence. It would seem that the majority of the Soul Society are beholden to his illusory powers."

That was when the hand on Ichigo's shoulder gave him a sharp squeeze, and Byakuya called out for everyone to hear, "All the more reason for everyone to leave, now. As of this moment, your banishment is in full effect."

The words 'banishment' seemed to put a damper on the mood. Everyone reacted by fixing blank expressions on their faces, but it was not hard to sense their displeasure as several powerful spiritual pressures grew tart and bitter .

Isane ushered the men carrying the arrancars through the Senkaimon first. Masked Stealth Force members carrying stretchers between them rushed headlong into the world of the living, only to return with empty stretchers.

"I only managed to heal them to the point where they could be transported without suffering any more damage," Isane explained hurriedly to Karin. "As arrancars, they will be difficult to treat. When they are stable, I believe Tessai should be able to help you find a way to heal them."

"But… I mean, I can do healing kido, but I'm not a scientist or anything. How am I supposed to know what to do?"

Isane smiled. "You don't have to be a genius or a scientist. Sometimes, all you need to have is a desire to help, and a willingness to learn."

Neliel, who was standing next to Karin hung her head sadly.

"Could you come with?" Karin pleaded with Isane. "Just for a few minutes?"

"No. Once you are returned to the world of the living, we will be unable to meet again. Good luck to you, Karin Kurosaki." Karin and Isane shook hands.

The captain paused before laying a hand upon Nel's shoulder, "I hope your friends get well soon. Perhaps you can help Karin and Tessai."

"I'll try," Nel replied numbly, unable to meet Isane's eye. The arrancar pulled away, and with a nod to Byakuya, trailed off after the men bearing Grimmjow on a stretcher, following them into the Senkaimon.

Up next were Ichigo and Rukia, both of whom seemed unsure of how to proceed. Ichigo was well aware of everyone's eyes on him, and he hated it. To walk away when there was an enemy on the loose seemed wrong. It felt cowardly.

But then Byakuya's words about his immaturity rang in his ears, and he gave a sigh. This was a chance to prove he had changed, and an opportunity to rest. It may very well have been his last.

Rukia seemed to pick up on Ichigo's distaste for the situation, and she stood on her tiptoes to give his a quick kiss.

Orihime, whom had been hanging back, suddenly felt a million pounds heavier, as if the entire world had put its weight on her shoulders. Uryu noticed the change immediately.

"What's wrong, Orihime?"

"I… it's nothing. I'm fine."

She didn't sound fine, though. She sounded tired, as if she hadn't slept in years. When she smiled at him, it didn't reach her eyes. She turned away before they began to water, sniffling quietly.

Ichigo and Rukia made to step through the Senkaimon, only to be stopped by Byakuya.

"What's the holdup?" Ichigo asked. "First it's time to go, then you're stopping us. Make up your damn mind."

"These are from the Captain Commander," Byakuya said, handing two scrolls tied with black ribbons to Rukia, who cradled them in her arms like children. "They are only to be read once you are safely returned to your home in the world of the living. They will explain everything, and will lay out the plan that has been formulated to deal with the looming threat."

"From the Head Captain?" Ichigo asked, looking at the scrolls. "But why-"

"Save your questions," Byakuya drew his blade, "and begone from the Soul Society at once. Do not return, lest a most horrendous death fall upon you and your loved ones."

"Brother," Rukia muttered, trying and failing to catch Byakuya's eyes as Ichigo put an arm around her shoulders and steered her towards the Senkaimon. They entered the portal, and within seconds their silhouettes were swallowed up by the blinding light within the gateway. Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku inclined his head to Byakuya, who gave a steep bow as the nobleman stepped through the Senkaimon as well.

Next went Chad, then Yoruichi, and then Karin. Finally, it was just Isane, Byakuya, Soifon, Renji, Orihime, Uryu, and the Stealth Force that remained. When they approached, the Sixth Division captain nodded stiffly to the Quincy and his companion.

"Best of luck, Uryu," Renji said. "And to you, Orihime."

"Huh?" the redhead shook herself from her melancholy long enough to force a tired smile. "Oh, yeah. Same to you guys. Take care."

"Farewell," Byakuya told them. "Keep Kusosaki out of trouble, and in the world of the living."

"Mhmm," Orihime mumbled. "Got it."

Ichigo's name only made her shoulders droop even more. Uryu had the wild urge to put his arms around her, but he felt it would do no good.

"C'mon," he said gently, leading the way into the Senkaimon. "Let's catch up with the others."

"Yeah."

The high schoolers stepped through the gateway, which slowly began to close. Byakuya stood at the ready, his hand on the hilt of Senbonzakura, but no one came forth to seek entry. Once the portal was closed, Byakuya waved a hand, causing the bamboo doors to shatter into a thousand glimmering particles of color.

"We're done here," he called to the clearing at large. "Move out!"

* * *

The world of the living was cold and dark when Ichigo and his friends appeared through a Senkaimon in the front yard of Kisuke Urahara's shop. A light snowfall had begun, dropping snowflakes onto the black of Ichigo's robes, which slowly faded to become those of his normal shihakusho, with white pauldrons, and a long, striped black and white sash about his waist.

Everyone's breath steamed in the air as they shivered, unsure of what to do.

"Come inside," Tessai called, standing in the doorway to the shop, light spilling out past him.

Before long, everyone was gathered about the tea table, but without Kisuke there with them, no one dared to speak first. Ichigo was back in his body, which felt strangely constricted, like his skin had been covered with some unseen layer that prevented him from moving quite so freely. He chalked it up to having been out of his body for a long time.

"Where's Yoruichi?" Uryu asked.

Tessai's mustache twitched as he spoke. "She's lying down. I didn't get much out of her, I'm afraid. I was hoping all of you may be able to fill me in on the details. Where is Kisuke? And why is this man who looks so much like Aizen travelling with you?"

No one moved, no one breathed. Not a single person wanted to be the one to tell Tessai about his friend's death. So when Rukia shifted her gaze to him and took in a long breath, everyone turned to stare at her.

"I'm so very sorry, Tessai," she told the burly man, "but Kisuke died saving us. It was Aizen- erm, not the man travelling with us, though."

And so began a long, convoluted story, starting with Aizen's plot, to Urahara's daring rescue of everyone after the wedding, the shopkeeper's death at the hands of Black, and the groups newest ally, Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku. When Rukia was finished speaking, Tessai's mustache was positively trembling, and he pulled off his sunglasses to dab at his watery eyes with a handkerchief.

After a loud round of nose-blowing, he sank to his knees and murmured, "He knew this day would come. Kisuke always knew he would die by Aizen's hand, just not when. He was one of the few people who could match the man's wit. He posed too much of a threat to Aizen's plans… and he knew it."

"I wanted to help him," Ichigo admitted quietly. "I keep thinking that if I had stayed there-"

"You would have most certainly been killed," Tessai interjected. "Kisuke Urahara would not do something so rash unless all of his other options had been explored. If he sacrificed himself to save you all, I can guarantee it was the only way things would have ended without all of you dying."

Ichigo met Tessai's eyes for a second before the large man smiled at him. "Still, I appreciate sentiment. Kisuke would, too, though I doubt he'd ever admit it."

Kamisaigaiku raised a hand and said, "I do not know this man well, but if he was willing to give his life for his friends, he undoubtedly sits at the side of the Soul King."

Tessai had always looked unshakable to Ichigo, so when the large, muscly man began to shiver, and tears spilled unabashedly from his face, it hurt Ichigo's heart.

"Oh no… poor Ururu," Tessai mumbled. "I don't think she'll take this well."

That caught everyone off guard. They had nearly forgotten about the young people in Urahara's employ.

"Is there anything we can do to help you guys?" Chad offered. "Anything that might make this easier?"

"No. No, I don't think so," Tessai sniffled. "Please leave me to grieve in peace. Lady Yoruichi and the arrancars will be safe here for the night. The rest of you should return to your homes and try to get some rest."

"Yeah," Orihime muttered. "That sounds nice."

Uryu leaned in close to Orihime, who looked at him quizzically through dull eyes.

"Hey, are you feeling ok?"

"I'm just sad for Tessai," she explained wearily. "You don't have to worry about me, Uryu."

She smiled, and it sent a strange sense of foreboding crawling down Uryu's back. Those lifeless, unfeeling eyes seemed to bore into him, but that smile looked so real, so genuine. Only, it was wrong, like a reflection of the one Orihime had used to wear. Seeing that pained, false smile only served to scare him.

"Did you want me to stay and help take care of the others?" Karin asked. "I could use my healing kido on them."

"You must not do that," the burly man said. "While you are here in the world of the living, you must not use any spiritual energy. That goes for all of you."

His eyes came to rest on Ichigo. When the redhead looked about, he noticed everyone else's eyes on him as well.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?!" he demanded.

"Because, even as weak as you are now, your spirit energy is radiating off of you," Uryu said. "I bet every hollow within a five mile radius can sense you."

Tessai got to his feet and left the room for a moment. When he came back, he was carrying a long black fur lined coat, which he tossed rather carelessly to Ichigo.

"Put that on," he said. "And take this as well. You can't wear a coat indoors."

In his outstretched hands, Tessai held out a familiar eyepatch that sent jolt of traumatic recognition through the young man.

"Is that-"

"The one you lost," the store manager nodded. "It arrived here this morning with the mail. It was sent anonymously, but I could swear I saw a member of the Second Division drop it off. They must have known you were coming."

Ichigo held up the eye patch in front of his face, looking unenthused. "Nothing like being half-blind all the time."

Orihime shot a glare into the back of Ichigo's head. "I'll tell everyone it's because you have a lazy eye. That way no one we know will question it."

"A good cover," Chad nodded thoughfully, "but I get the feeling that we probably won't be going out and socializing every weekend. If they want us to hide our spiritual pressures, then they'll want us to stay indoors, so we don't attract attention."

"Exactly."

Neliel stood up. She had been sitting quietly between Karin and Uryu, but she could no longer bear such conversation. Her heart was not in it.

"Hey, where are you going?" Karin called.

"I am not one of you," Nel muttered, stepping around the table as she made for the door. "My spiritual pressure can be masked at will, and I have no intention of leaving while my comrades are dying. I'm going to try and heal them."

Karin frowned, "Are you sure you don't need any help?"

"Yes," the arrancar paused with her hand upon the door. She answered without looking back. "I am sure."

"Nel," Ichigo said suddenly, making the arrancar stop in her tracks, "Don't be stupid. You _are_ one of us, whether you like it or not. You did all you could to help Grimmjow and the others. Beating yourself up over it won't heal them any faster."

"I know that," she replied, doing her best to keep the oncoming emotion out of her voice.

And with a swish of long turquoise hair and a soft thud, the sliding door closed behind her. Tessai wiped at his runny nose and glanced at his watch before clearing his throat. "It is late, and the hollows will be most active soon. It is best if you all leave now. Travel in groups or pairs, and stay safe."

"Yeah," Ichigo, having had Rukia help him put on his eyepatch, stood from his seat and pulled on his new coat. "We will, Tessai. Thanks for everything…. Take care of yourself."

"Of course."

The store manager went to stand behind the counter in the main store and busied himself with his list of opening chores to prepare for tomorrow. The young adults and the nobleman in the tea room kicked on their shoes, muttered their melancholy farewells, and went on their way. The bell tinkled cheerfully behind Orihime, who was the last to leave, and the sound of quiet voices faded as they strode off into the night.

Tessai stopped working, his hands shaking too badly to continue stocking shelves or dusting. He let his shoulders sag, and in an instant, he was unrecognizable from his usual stoic self. Even his flamboyant mustache seemed a little less magnificent.

"Then, I suppose it's high time I read this…" with faltering fingers, he withdrew an envelope from one of the pockets of his coveralls. In Kisuke's cramped, hasty script were the words ' _To Tessai. Open when I'm dead._ ' Followed by a smiley face. When Tessai had first received it, he assumed it was an elaborate joke. Now, he had no doubts. This was truly a note from Kisuke Urahara, and the shopkeeper had known that he was going to die.

Unsealing the envelope, Tessai unfolded a single piece of paper and began to read. With every line, his eyes grew wider and wider, until he got to the end of it.

"It can't be," he whispered.

* * *

Rukia led the way back to the Kurosaki household, with Ichigo, Karin, Kamisaigaiku, Chad, Uryu and Orihime trailing along behind her. Chad was the first to split off, saying that he was going home to rest, and that he would catch up with everyone tomorrow. He set off with a wave before turning his collar to a frigid headwind and treading off in the direction of his apartment.

"Should someone go with him?" Karin queried.

"Chad is the strongest guy I know," Ichigo said to her, "he'll be fine."

The younger Kurosaki kept her silence, and they walked without speaking until they came to another familiar intersection, not too far from the clinic. The streets were completely barren, which was no surprise given the cold and the late hour. The snow had begun to fall faster now, leaving a layer of white on every surface.

"I suppose this is where we say goodbye," Orihime said, looking off in the direction of her home. "Take care, everyone."

"I'll come with you," Uryu offered quickly, only to flinch when she scowled at him.

"No! No. Thanks, Uryu, but I need to shower and get some sleep."

"I see."

He said no more, and Orihime wrapped her arms more tightly about herself and trudged off into the silent night. It wasn't long before she was obscured by the snow and lost to the darkness.

Rukia shivered as her instincts cried out for her to stop Orihime. Somehow, the thought of the redhead being alone made her scared, as if she were in grave danger. From what, though, was beyond Rukia. She could sense no hollows, only the dim, waning spiritual pressure of the high school girl as she drew further and further away.

"Uryu?" Rukia turned to the Quincy. "Maybe you should go after her. Orihime seems… different."

"If she doesn't want me to go with her, than I must respect her wishes," the bespectacled man said. With a curt nod to the Kurosaki siblings and Rukia, and a quick, awkward bow to Hideyoshi, Uryu made a rushed promise to meet up with them tomorrow. With that, he meandered off in the opposite direction as Orihime, his eyes downcast and his hands tucked into his pockets.

And just like that, their group had fractured into pieces.

"Let's get back home," sighed Ichigo, scratching at his covered eye, "I want to get some rest."

"Yeah," Rukia said, putting her arm through Ichigo's and causing Karin to roll her eyes, "let's go home."

* * *

Ichigo opened the door to his home, feeling nostalgic. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the Soul Society, but it felt as if he'd been away from home for forever. The first thing he noted was the silence. There were still lights on in the common rooms, but otherwise, there were no signs of life. He had just stepped over the threshold when he heard a strange sound resonating from the kitchen.

Rukia and Karin both looked to Ichigo, their eyes wide. They had heard it, too. Kamisaigaiku cocked his head, listening carefully.

Putting his hand into his pocket, where his combat pass was located, Ichigo crept further into his house, pausing whenever he heard the sound. It was a strange sniffling sound, and so quiet that it almost might have been a figment of his imagination. He flung himself around the corner, holding his combat pass to his chest, only for it to fall from his hand and clatter on the floor.

Yuzu was sitting alone at the dinner table. Four places were set, and four dinners, now cold, had been made up. Each plate was completely untouched, as if Yuzu had dished them for her family, hoping against hope that someone might finally come home.

"Y-Yuzu? Why are you crying?"

The girl froze, her eyes wide and tear filled as she slowly turned to find Ichigo in the doorway to the kitchen, Rukia and Karin behind him.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu whimpered, standing from her place at the table and wiping her eyes, "Karin? Rukia?"

"Yeah, we just got back. What's up? Why are you crying, Yuzu? And what's with all the-"

Ichigo staggered as his youngest sister stood and wrapped her arms around him so tightly that his own arms were pinned at his sides. "I-I-I was so worried about you!"

Ice cold venom seemed to fill Ichigo's insides as he realized that with Karin, himself, and Isshin gone, Yuzu was left at home all by herself, for who knew how long.

"I thought you guys might've just left me here- you could've been dead for all I knew! And then… and today is the day…"

 _'The day?'_ Ichigo thought, completely nonplussed, _'what day is it? What day could make Yuzu cry like-'_

The guilt which had frozen his insides burned like he'd swallowed liquid nitrogen. He wrapped his arms as best he could around Yuzu, who sobbed into his chest.

"It's the anniversary of mom's death," Ichigo realized. "And you were scared you would have to spend it alone."

"Dad left the day after you did," Yuzu mumbled. "He didn't say where too, or why. And I… I was left here, all by myself, not knowing if…."

Someone pushed Ichigo away from Yuzu, and he found himself replaced by none other than Karin, who hugged Yuzu so tightly that the youngest Kurosaki felt as if she was being crushed.

"I'm sorry, Yuzu," Karin told her baby sister. "I didn't mean to leave you alone like that."

"Karin…" the younger sister felt like she may melt. It was a very rare occurrence for Karin to show such genuine emotion, and even rarer that she doled out such tender hugs. Yuzu hugged her sister back, and when the two of them broke apart, Yuzu looked much happier. She wiped at her tears and smiled brightly before taking her seat at the table with a laugh and gesturing for everyone else to join her.

"C'mon guys!" she said cheerfully, "Let's eat!"

Kamisaigaiku appeared at the table as well, looking quite out of place. With Ichigo in his physical body, and Rukia in a gigai, he was the only one dressed like a shinigami.

"Uh, who is this?" Yuzu frowned. "A friend of yours?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. He's… um, he's in witness protection," Ichigo explained lamely.

"Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku," the nobleman said, shaking Yuzu's hand. "You must be Ichigo's little sister! Forgive my rudeness, but this food looks positively incredible. May I?"

At once, Yuzu's concern was gone, replaced by laughter, "Of course! I always make enough for guests! Dig in, I'll get you something to drink!"

Even with a nobleman he barely knew sitting at his table, and even though food was cold, it was some of the best Ichigo had ever tasted. Something about food in the Soul Society could never really beat a good home cooked meal as far as he was concerned, and he ate with a relish that made Yuzu throw a napkin at him.

"Chew your food!" she chastised him happily, only to laugh when he lifted his face from his plate, his cheeks bulging.

He swallowed hard and thumped his chest, Kamisaigaiku chuckling lightheartedly at his side. Rukia raised an eyebrow, her expression uncertain.

"This is the man I fell in love with," she muttered to herself.

* * *

Later that night, in the darkness of the shop where the wounded arrancars lay resting, Neliel struggled to heal her friends.

She was at it for hours, laboring over them as best she could. She'd even gone so far as to revert to her child form and drool on them, as it was the most effective method of healing she possessed without tapping into her powers, which would attract unwanted attention.

But in the light of the moon that spilled in through the curtains and painted her friends' faces stark white, it was hard not to imagine that they were already dead. The only reminder they still lived were their shaky, uneven breaths.

Midnight came and went, and Neliel sat in a chair in the corner of the room, drowning in grief and bitter self-admonishment. If she wasn't so worthless, none of this would have happened. If she had fought Aizen's puppet instead of freezing in her tracks, she could have prevented this.

That thought made her smile weakly, in the way a whimsical fantasy of flight might make a child happy for a moment. She knew it was impossible. In the time since Ichigo had stormed Los Noches with his friends to save Orihime, Nel had begun to remember her time as an Espada. She had witnessed Aizen's cruelty firsthand, and was one of the first to succumb to his demands and join his ranks. There was nothing she could have done but die for her friends. And with how awful she was feeling at that instant, she dearly wished she had.

"I'm sorry," she said to no one, slumping down in her chair as sadness and exhaustion forced her eyes closed and sleep carried her away from her sorrows.

Moments later, someone, or something, peered in through the open windows, bright eyes glistening with ill intent, their maw forming a twisted smile.

There were four weak, helpless arrancars for the taking, and the being looking in from outside licked their lips.

"Dinner time."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **I'm kinda pressed for time, so I'll simply say that I'm back, and I'm sorry for the delay in writing. I've been working nonstop and my pc has been undergoing major surgery. Thankfully, no data was lost, only time.**_

 _ **This chapter we see the setup (sort of) which any (competent) author would have gradually done across the whole of the story instead of jamming it into one chapter, but whatever.**_

 _ **Here's some music to listen to:**_

 _ **Death Valley-Fall out boy**_

 _ **Nicotine-Panic at the Disco**_

 _ **Old Fashioned-Panic at the Disco**_

 _ **to the souls that leave us too soon-doug clark (rip my boy kisuke)**_

 _ **Kings Never Die-Eminem**_

 _ **Put It On Me- Matt Maeson**_

 _ **Hemorrhage- Filter**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, and a big thank you to those that took the time to review the last chapter, and all the ones before. You guys are too kind.**_


	23. Homecoming: Still Hunted

Though the threat of Aizen loomed over the entirety of the Kurosaki household (with the exception Yuzu, who was thrilled to be able to cook for so many people) that night was a peaceful one for Ichigo and company as they settled in and prepared for bed. Kamisaigaiku would take up residence of the couch, and Rukia, much to Yuzu's spluttering disapproval, would bunk with Ichigo.

After finishing in the shower, Ichigo dressed himself slowly, taking in the overall shape of his body. It was leaner than he recalled, but not in a particularly good way. His spirit form was stronger than ever, rippling with muscle and tanned skin and battle scars. His human form, however, was not quite as imposing as it used to be. He looked peaky, skinnier, and his hair was getting too long. All in all, he looked like the kind of guy he would cross the street to avoid.

' _Kon probably didn't do any sort of exercising when he was in my body_ ,' Ichigo thought glumly as he pulled his shirt over his head and flexed his shoulder. He winced, both from the pain, and from the irony that the injures of his soul form would be inflicted upon his physical form, but not any of the good qualities.

"Whatever," he grumbled, pulling his shirt on over his head. It wasn't like he cared, right? When all was said and done, he probably wouldn't have a body left to come back to. Not if the Lethal Getsuga worked as he'd been made to understand it by Tensa Zangetsu.

He gave a sigh and turned out the light, tracing the all too familiar path from the bathroom to his room, but upon opening the door, he found himself faced with something entirely new.

In his bed lay Rukia, the woman who was now technically his wife. She was facing him, her elbow on the pillow as she propped her head up.

"Come here," she patted the bed, "let's get some sleep."

A painful smile pulled at Ichigo's lips. A week or two ago, he'd have given almost anything for such a scenario to play out. The only thing that gave him pause now was the fact that Aizen was still out there, his vengeance unfulfilled, though whether he knew it or not remained a mystery.

But he put that aside and slid beneath the covers next to Rukia, who immediately clamped onto him like a parasite. Instead of stealing his life, however, she only took his body heat.

"How are you always so damned cold?!" asked Ichigo as she stuck her freezing fingers under his shirt.

"I don't know," she replied, her eyes already closed as she grinned to herself.

That smile didn't last though, and soon Rukia's eyes were open once more, boring into Ichigo, who had put his hands behind his head and was staring at the ceiling.

"Are you still thinking about Kisuke?" she plied.

"How'd you know?"

"Because I am too. It all happened so fast… it's like I haven't even had a moment to process it until now," Rukia told him.

"I know what you mean," he agreed. "Kisuke always seemed so permanent. He always had a backup plan, and a backup for the backup plan. And now suddenly he's gone. I can't even imagine how Yoruichi must be feeling."

"Nor can I," Rukia admitted, "but it makes me glad to still have you."

Her hand searched for his beneath the covers, and when they met, their fingers laced together. They stared into each other's eyes for a few fluttering heartbeats, tension heavy in the air until Ichigo broke eye contact. He grew red in the face and hot under the collar as inappropriate thoughts ran through his mind. If the two of them stared into each other's eyes any longer, they might just end up-

"G'night!" Ichigo said suddenly, flipping around and turning his back to Rukia.

She pressed an ice cold hand to the small of his back, and laughed when Ichigo gave a muffled start.

"Goodnight," she told him sweetly.

* * *

Morning dawned bright and early in Karakura town, and the sun began to melt away at what little snow had fallen the night before.

That was when Neliel awoke, and to her horror, found herself staring at four bloodied, wounded arrancars. Their bandages and sutures had been torn away, and their flesh had been devoured. Their ribs had been cracked open, and their organs had been sorted through and sampled, each with large, bite shaped marks. Blood had soaked into bright white sheets and dried overnight, becoming a dark, reddish brown stain.

 _'Grimmjow_ ,' Neliel thought. He looked almost undisturbed, but just as pale and lifeless as the others. The only difference was that she could still detect his spirit energy, however faint. The spiritual pressures of the Tres Bestia, on the other hand….

The turqiouse haired arrancar stood from her chair, only to have her legs fall out from underneath her. She crawled to Grimmjow and pulled away his bedsheets.

The former sixth espada was breathing, but only just. His brow was furrowed, his jaw clenched, every muscle in his unconscious body was tense. And then Nel noticed what was wrong. Grimmjow's right leg was gone, leaving nothing but a bloody stump that appeared to have been gnawed and clawed by some feral predator.

The air in Nel's lungs froze as she stared at the people she had sworn to protect and care for, three of whom were dead, and the last of which was quickly fading. It took a moment for her to remember what to do, and then another for her to summon the will to do so.

"Help," she whispered, her voice failing her, "Someone… someone HELP! HELP, PLEASE!"

* * *

"I just don't get what the big deal is," Ichigo rolled his eyes, "Rukia and I are married now, what's your problem?! Is it because we shared a bed last night?"

Everyone was seated at the table, save Karin, who ate her breakfast at the counter with her morning soda.

"That's not it at all, though I still don't approve!" Yuzu said loudly, jabbing a finger at her brother as she stood from her place at the table, "I wasn't even invited! I'm your sister, darn it! I could have been the ringbearer or the flower girl, or the maid of honor! Instead I get this crap dropped on me over breakfast!"

"Oh geez, Yuzu said crap," Karin noted bemusedly, "you'd better get ready Ichigo, she's pretty pissed off if she's almost using cuss words."

"I _did_ say crap!" Yuzu exclaimed. "Because this… this… JERK didn't even invite me to his wedding! You're just… you're a butthead Ichigo!"

"Wow, that's a lot of profanity from you, Yuzu," Ichigo noted as he pointed a fork at her plate, which was still full of food, "but shouldn't you eat your breakfast? It'll get cold."

Yuzu mumbled something under her breath that sounded like some combination of the words 'stupid' and 'brother,' but she took her seat and ate all the same. It took a lot to press Yuzu's buttons like that, but after being left alone for so long, and then finding out Ichigo was married seemed to have pushed every button she had at once.

"I'm sorry," muttered Ichigo after a few moments of tense silence, "I wasn't expecting this either. And then with Urahara… I just had other things to worry about. I promise, if it were up to me, you and dad would've been there."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot… Mr. Urahara…" Yuzu's eyes turned to the floor, and she looked guilty for a moment.

Rukia, whom had taken over cooking so Yuzu could eat, smiled to herself as she scrambled eggs and buttered toast. Even with the death of a close friend, the Kurosaki family was as boisterous as ever.

 _'The more things change, the more they stay the same,_ ' she thought to herself.

The ringing of the phone from the living room caught everyone by surprise. Karin, being the closest, slid off her stool and grabbed the phone off the hook. She answered as politely as she possibly could at seven thirty in the morning.

"Kurosaki residence, why are you calling so early?"

The blood drained from Karin's face, and she carried the phone with her into the kitchen. Ichigo was the first to notice her. When he frowned in askance, Karin simply shook her head, gesturing that he take the phone.

As soon as he did, Karin went to the fridge and pulled out another soda, downing it in a way that reminded Ichigo of Commander Kyoraku drinking sake- as if trying to forget something.

"Karin?" Yuzu asked. "What's wrong? Who was that?"

Ichigo put the phone to his ear.

"This is Ichigo, what's going on?"

A deep voice grumbled from over the connection. "Ichigo, this is Tessai. Come to the shop as soon as you can. There's been an attack."

Seeing as they couldn't just burst out of their physical forms without unveiling their spiritual pressures, Ichigo, Rukia, and Karin had to shower, dress, and then hurry through the bright but chilly morning to get to Urahara's shop. Even just standing outside in the front yard, Ichigo could sense something was amiss.

There were lingering traces of an unfamiliar spiritual pressure about the area. Without using his powers, though, he couldn't tell who it belonged to, or where it had gone. All he knew was that it did not feel human. For a moment, Ichigo considered calling Uryu, who was a tracking expert, but given that they all had to keep their powers under control, it would do no good.

Tessai opened the door and ushered the three of them into the shop. He motioned for Ichigo and Rukia to go into the back where the arrancars had been healing. When Karin made to step by him, he put an arm across the doorway.

"You may want to hang back if you don't have a strong stomach," he warned her.

Karin watched as her brother and Rukia stepped into the sunlit back room, neither of them even pausing to see if she was still with them.

"I'll be fine," she decided, following after her sibling and his wife.

Tessai brought up the rear, and closed the door behind them. No sooner had the door closed did Karin realize she'd made a huge mistake, and put a hand to her mouth.

She had thought she could handle blood and gore. She had gotten injured a plethora of times playing football, and one of her teammates had even been tackled so hard his leg had been bent sideways at the knee. But this… this was a wake up call she never expected.

The carnage was gruesome, animalistic, and horrifying. When Karin looked at her brother, she saw his nose slightly wrinkled from the overpowering stench of deteriorating flesh and coppery blood. Otherwise, he showed no signs of discomfort. Even Rukia seemed to be able to handle it, though she looked incredibly sad.

On the floor in front of Ichigo and Rukia, kneeling beside Grimmjow, were Orihime and Neliel.

"I'm sorry," the redheaded woman muttered, "but this is the best I can do for him right now. The others are… they're gone."

Orihime stood from her administrations before realizing Ichigo and Rukia were right behind her. Her eyes flickered to the couple, both of whom had an arm around each other for comfort.

"Hey Orihime," Rukia said quietly, noticing how the high school girl refused to meet her eye. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Orihime shook her head wordlessly, and then stalked off to stand at the window, one of which was open. She stared out at the cool, bright morning, not looking at anything in particular, but there was only cold, quiet darkness behind her eyes.

"I sense Grimmjow is still alive," Rukia knelt next to the wounded arrancar, "but what about-"

Neliel shook her head. Three bloodied sheets had been used to cover three bodies, though from the misshapen looked of them, they had been ravaged beyond repair or recognition.

"Who did this?" growled Ichigo, his fists balled with rage. "Was it Aizen?"

"If he knew any of you were here, he would have left the arrancars alone and sent an assassin to the Kurosaki Clinic," Tessai said. "So no, I think we can safely say that this is not Aizen's work. Something else is afoot."

"It was an arrancar," Neliel said quietly from the floor. "No one else would dare attack such powerful enemies. No base hollow could have done this, either."

"I thought most of the arrancars were either enslaved or executed by the Sternritter," Ichigo fingered the combat pass in his pocket, thinking hard.

"Most," Neliel replied. "But not all."

"Unless there are still remnants of those arrancars who are loyal to Yhwach." Rukia observed.

"But then again, they would have targeted Ichigo, given he helped to slay Yhwach," reasoned Tessai.

Neliel stood from the floor, turning away from the bodies of her comrades. "No arrancar would willingly serve a Quincy. Tessai is correct. This was the work of an arrancar… but one who is not bound to Aizen, or the Sternritter. I would guess that this one occurred naturally, though why it lives in the world of the living is beyond me."

"Wait a sec, I thought arrancars were created by Aizen," Ichigo said.

"No," Neliel told him. "They have existed ever since hollows first preyed upon one another. Normally, they wouldn't pose much of a threat, even to a standard soul reaper. The strongest arrancars were created by Aizen, though there are some exceptions. It would also make sense for them to attack while we slept and were vulnerable. Clearly, they seek to grow even more powerful, and this was an ample opportunity."

"You shouldn't talk like that," Ichigo said, noting the dark expression on Nel's face. "Ignoring the fact that these guys were your friends only does them a disservice. Pretending it doesn't hurt tarnishes their memory."

Neliel shot Ichigo an angry glare that fell away almost instantly, replaced by a look of pure sorrow. Without another word, she left the room. Then they all heard the front door of the shop open and close, and her spiritual pressure grew further and further away.

Ichigo received a sharp elbow in his side, courtesy of Rukia. "You can't tell people how to grieve, you fool. How many times do I have to drill this into that thick skull of yours?"

"I was just telling her the truth," Ichigo rubbed at the spot she had struck, certain he felt a bruise forming. "If she really wants to get closure, she should find the bastard that did this and send them back to Hueco Mundo the old fashioned way."

Tessai smoothed out his mustache, "Ichigo has a point. Finding this arrancar should be our top priority. Whoever they are, they now know that you all escaped the Soul Society. If Aizen were to come into contact with this rogue arrancar, you would all be targeted again."

"So we can hunt this hollow down?" prompted Ichigo, pushing his fist into his palm and cracking his knuckles.

Tessai shook his head. "No, we will watch and wait. If this mystery arrancar returns for Grimmjow, we will be ready. For the time being, you should return home and reach out to your friends. If I'm not mistaken, you all have orders to review."

"You mean the ones from Old Man Kyoraku?" Ichigo asked. "I don't think we've even opened them yet."

"I skimmed through them," admitted Rukia, "but it's best if we all go over them together."

That was when a small voice behind them spoke, "Can we go now?"

Ichigo had all but forgotten his sister was there with them. Karin was leaning against the wall, trying her best to look casual, but the way she kept her eyes forcefully above ground level let Ichigo know how uncomfortable she was.

"Yeah, we should go," Rukia decided. "Are you coming Orihime?"

"Not yet. You guys can go on ahead."

Rukia turned a critical eye to the high school girl, noting the dark, sunken rings beneath her dull eyes, and the way her hair and state of dress seemed rather uncaring. Her normally curvaceous figure was slimmer than Rukia recalled, and her soul seemed more reserved than normal. If Rukia didn't know any better, Orihime Inoue might have been slowly wasting away before her very eyes.

"Well, take care. We'll see you later."

"Yeah," Orihime said. "Later."

Ichigo itched absently at the eyepatch he wore, only to have his hand swatted away by Rukia, who took one last cursory glance back at Orihime before leading the way out of the store.

As soon as the door to the shop slid home, Orihime slumped over the window sill, as if she'd been hanging by strings that had been cut.

"You seem agitated, Inoue," Tessai noted sharply. "Is there anything I can do to help? Perhaps some tea to calm your nerves?

Orihime smiled as best she could, gripping the window frame as she tried not to look at the three corpses lying on the floor. What truly scared her wasn't death, or blood, but the fact that she was so swallowed up in her own self-pity that she could not feel anything for the deceased. In fact, she didn't feel much of anything. It was as if her emotions were totally numb.

"I'm fine, Tessai," she lied. "I'm… I'm just tired."

"Then you should go home and get some rest while you can, my dear. I do not know how much time you will have to do so. Sooner or later, this arrancar will pop up again."

Orihime nodded. Chances were, the arrancar wouldn't be targeting her, and if by some miracle it did, she wasn't sure she had the will to try and fight it.

"Yeah, I'll go home and rest. Good bye, Tessai."

* * *

As soon as Ichigo opened the door to the Kurosaki clinic, he heard the sounds of a great commotion. The crash of glass shattering and people yelling sent adrenaline coursing through his veins, and with a glance at each other, he and Rukia rushed into the house. They entered the living room, and found, to their astonishment, that Isshin had returned home.

At the moment, he was shielding his daughter, Yuzu, from Kamisaigaiku, who had drawn his zanpakuto.

"Stand down and step away from the girl you recreant beast," Kamisaigaiku commanded, "only a man without honor would take a young woman as a hostage!"

"Wait," Yuzu cried, trying to get around her dad, only to be pushed behind him once again.

"Are you kidding me?! That's my line!" Isshin shouted. "What sort of nutjob breaks into another man's house and pretends to be the good guy?!"

"I will not allow you to harm that young woman," the nobleman levelled his zanpakuto at Isshin, "prepare to feel my wrath you vile monster! I'll make sure your soul is removed from the cycle of reincarnation!"

Isshin launched himself at the Hideyoshi, who in turned lunged forth, both of them bellowing a fierce battle cry that was sure to alert the neighbors and get the cops called.

"SHUT UP!" Rukia and Ichigo shouted in unison, each of them bringing their fists down on the heads of the instigators.

"Ichigo!" Yuzu cried, "thank goodness! Daddy got home and thought Kamisaigaiku had broken in!"

"And I suppose Kamisaigaiku thought dad was the intruder," Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose.

At once, Isshin was on his feet, a massive welt protruding from the top of his head where Ichigo had struck him. His eyes were watering, and his nose was runny, "THERE'S SOME ASSHOLE IN MY HOUSE, DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT TO MY SWEET, INNOCENT DAUGHTER, AND YOU HIT _ME_?!"

"Kamisaigaiku isn't the one who always used to look up his daughter's skirt!" Ichigo shouted in retaliation. "So between the two of you, you're the only one I have to worry about!"

"I… I'm the creep?" Isshin hung his head. "But then… who's this guy?"

As Ichigo told his father about the 'witness protection relocation program,' Kamisaigaiku leaned over to Karin.

"Did he really look up his own daughter's skirt?"

Karin nodded. "Yeah, dad has always been a perv."

"By the Spirit King," muttered Kamisaigaiku, shaking his head at the antics of the patriarch of the Kurosaki family.

* * *

That night, dinner was an extraordinarily awkward affair, as Isshin and Kamisaigaiku shot each other suspicious glances across the table. Ichigo tried to ignore this and eat his food as quickly as possible, as he and his friends would be meeting to inspect the content of the orders they received during their run in with Byakuya.

"Take a picture," Isshin growled at the nobleman sitting on the opposite side of the table, "it'll last longer."

"No need," Kamisaigaiku replied in kind, "I'm sure the authorities will take note of your likeness when they imprison you for your perversion."

Isshin blinked. Karin leaned over and spoke in her father's ear. "He means that the cops will take your mugshot when they book you for being a creep."

Isshin's face went red with rage, and a vein popped in his forehead. Meanwhile, Hideyoshi took a large bite of his dinner and smiled at Yuzu. "This food is delicious! Excellent work Yuzu!"

"T-thanks, Mr. Kamisaigaiku."

"Oh yeah?!" Isshin shoveled as much of his food into his mouth as he could, "I think it tastes even better sweetie! Daddy loves your cooking!"

Karin frowned at her dad, who was massaging his throat to force himself to swallow the gargantuan mouthful. Unfortunately, something seemed to stick in his throat, and he began to gag and choke.

"There went my appetite," she mumbled.

"Mine too," Rukia said, looking on with something between horror and astonishment.

"I'm gonna go eat in my room," Ichigo stood quickly, only to be followed by Rukia and Karin and Yuzu, all of whom followed him up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Karin and Yuzu sat in Ichigo's bed, and Rukia sat at his desk, leaving Ichigo standing in the center of his own room, his eyebrow twitching as he watched his sisters.

"Why did you two come into my room?" he asked.

"I was following Rukia," Karin exlpained.

"I was following Karin," Yuzu chimed in happily.

"I was just trying to get away from your dad," Rukia said, "the way he eats is… not natural."

"That doesn't mean you guys get to eat in my room!" Ichigo said indignantly, "Chad, Uryu, and Orihime are supposed to be on their way here right now to go over some stuff."

"What kinda stuff?" Yuzu asked. "Anything I can help with?"

"No," Ichigo said quickly, "now would you two please go away?"

"Ichigo," Rukia said, "maybe Karin should stay. She's involved in this now, whether you wish it or not."

"But-"

Ichigo didn't even have time to rebuff Rukia when Yuzu stood up in a huff. "Fine! I'll go eat in my room, by myself! You guys can put dinner away and clean up after you're finished conspiring without me!"

"Hold on, Yuzu-" Ichigo flinched as the door slammed shut behind his sister, and she stomped off down the hall to her room.

Rukia blinked, "I didn't-"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo fingered his dinner plate, "she's angry at me, not you. And I can't really say I blame her."

"The less she knows, the less danger she'll be in," Karin pointed out. "Isn't that right?"

Rukia spoke, and her words made Ichigo's heart sink, even though he knew she was right. "Not necessarily, but we can certainly hope so."

They finished their dinner in silence as Isshin and Kamisaigaiku began to argue once more. The sounds of their shouting reverberated through the walls and sent a jolt up Ichigo's spine.

"That's it," he muttered, throwing down his fork and stomping out the door, leaving Karin and Rukia alone together.

As soon as the door swung closed behind Ichigo, Rukia felt the atmosphere in the room change dramatically. Though they were now technically family, Rukia had not spent very much time alone with Karin, which generally served to make things awkward.

"Hey, Rukia?" The sudden query gave the soul reaper a start, and she replied in a halting manner.

"Y-Yes?"

"Do you remember what I told you? I mean, before you left?"

Rukia was silent as she recalled their prior conversation.

"I told you that if you hurt my brother, I'd have something to say about it. I said that if you hurt Ichigo-"

"You'd send me back to wherever it was I came from," Rukia finished, lowering her fork as the memory came back to her. She froze when Karin turned a hard eye to look at her, and something seemed to pass between the two of them. There was an understanding, as real and solid as a physical contract, and as binding as if it were signed in one's own blood. Rukia had hurt Ichigo, and to such a scarring degree that she knew she could never forgive herself. It was because of Rukia that Ichigo's eyes were opened to the world of spirits and hollows, and every single anguish he'd suffered since was her fault. Karin seemed to know as much, and felt similarly, judging the way she was looking at Rukia.

"I'm letting you off for now because I love my brother," Karin said after a long silence. "But if you ever hurt him like that again, I will do everything in my power to make you pay for it."

There was so much Rukia wanted to say. She wanted to tell Karin that she only had Ichigo's best interests at heart. She wanted to tell her that she had been deceived by Aizen, and that she hated herself for what she'd done. But before she could so much as get out a single syllable, the sounds of several people coming up the stairs was heard, and then Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad piled into the room as well.

"Hey guys," Karin said to Chad and Uryu.

Chad gave Karin an upwards nod and said, "What's up?"

Uryu raised a hand in silent greeting, and immediately leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and staring at the floor.

"Where's Orihime?" Rukia plied Ichigo.

"Wouldn't answer her door," Chad said. "Uryu and I knocked for ten minutes."

"Could she be in danger?" Karin wondered.

"No," Uryu said, "She was sleeping."

"How could you tell?"

Everyone shared a look, as if there was some joke that had gone over Karin's head. She looked around at all of her brother's friends, her face growing redder and redder before Uryu pushed his glasses up his nose and told her, "It's something you can sense through a person's spiritual pressure. When you're around them for so long, you can distinguish even the most minute changes in their being."

"Over the years we've all sort of developed a certain sense for each other," Ichigo explained. "Like, I can always feel Uryu and Chad's presence, even from miles away. If they're in trouble, I can pick up on that, or if they have the situation under control, I can feel their confidence."

"It's something that will develop in you, as well," Rukia added, giving Karin a reassuring pat, "as your power grows and matures, you'll be able to sense these things in the people closest to you, and in your enemies when you fight. Sensing these changes can mean the difference between victory and defeat."

Ichigo nodded, as did Uryu and Chad. Once again, Karin was the odd man out. Any other girl might have gotten defensive, but Karin just sighed. She had long since given up on trying to understand her big brother and his weird friends.

"You guys hungry?" Ichigo asked. "Dinner hasn't been cleared up yet."

"I'm good," Chad said.

"Same here," Uryu mumbled.

Rukia set her food to the side and reached for the scroll on the bed, but Ichigo frowned at her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, completely unsure of what she'd done wrong.

"Aren't you gonna eat?"

"We have orders to go over-"

"The orders can wait," insisted Ichigo, "you need to eat something Rukia."

"I'm fine, Ichigo."

"Are you kidding me? Rukia, you're wasting away!"

The woman blushed. Her size had always been a bit of a tender spot. "I am not! I just- I lose weight when I'm stressed!"

"It's probably because you don't eat," Ichigo told her. He stood from his food and snatched the scroll off the bed before she could stop him. Their bodies only touched for second as he leaned over her, but Rukia felt as if Ichigo were made of lightning. Simply being near him sent jitters through her extremities.

"Finish your dinner," he told her softly, "I'll read the scroll aloud for everyone."

Rukia did not argue, but glowered at Ichigo from over her plate as she slowly began to pick away at the food Yuzu had made. Ichigo smiled to himself, and then turned his attention to the scroll. The further along he read, however, the further his face fell.

* * *

Neliel wasn't sure how long it had been since she had left Kisuke's shop. The sky was dark and starless, and tinged with orange from the countless streetlights of Karakura town as she roamed the dark and empty streets of a commercial district.

Tall buildings stood upon either side, but she paid no heed to them. She marched on quietly through the chill, following the trail of the person who had killed her comrades. There was no traffic, no cars went by. No cicadas chirped. All was silent, all was still.

Leaves blew in the wind, spiraling down the street alongside Neliel. They drew her eye as she passed, but she crunched over them quickly and continued on her way. The scent was close, now.

She turned to face an empty alleyway. The interior was dark, far darker than it should've been, even at night. The light of the world seemed lost upon this place. Neliel had never feared the dark, however. Hollows were born of the negativities of life, and were well accustomed to shadows. She stalked into the darkness, confident in the knowledge that no matter what beast may lie within, she was far more of a monster than anything in that alley.

The spiritual pressure she'd traced was unmistakable. The creature was there, in the alley with her, but she couldn't see it. Not even with her superior arrancar sight could she pierce the veil that the hollow who had killed her friends wore.

"I know you're there," Nel said. "Show yourself, arrancar. I am the left hand of Lord White, master of Los Noches, and I am here because you killed my friends. Show yourself, coward!"

That was when a small, hissing voice from right behind her muttered, "Gladly," and two large, glowing red eyes appeared over Neliel's shoulder, along with a spiritual pressure that was much, much more than she had bargained for.

* * *

Momo Hinamori was not often one to complain about a day in service to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. She knew that there were people in the Soul Society who had it far worse than she, but after a day like today, she was more than ready to go to bed ang get some rest.

She padded along as quietly as she could, past the sleeping members of the Fifth Division. Such was the life of a Lieutenant. She was the first awake, rising earlier than her comrades to begin the day's work, and the last to rest, normally still hard at work while the other's slept. The only upside was that by the time it was her turn in the bath house, there was plenty of hot water and guaranteed privacy.

Now, with her hair wet and tomorrow's shihakusho tucked into the crook of her arm, she was ready to retire for the day. She got to her quarters and immediately began to strip, peeling away her bathrobe to slip into her soft, comfortable pajamas when the oil lamp that she kept upon the corner table flickered to life of its own volition.

Momo turned, reflexively shielding herself, as there was someone else in the room with her.

"These are the Lieutenants Quarters! What are you doing… here…" the words died in her throat as the person sitting at the table turned the lamp down, and the brightness of it no longer obscured their features.

"Good evening, Lieutenant Hinamori," Sosuke Aizen greeted his former subordinate. Momo trembled, feeling her blood boil and then ice over the old wound in her midsection throbbed painfully. She had told herself that she hated Aizen, despised him even. But deep in her heart, she hoped there was still some good in him, and that the time they spent together- the person he had been back then- was still alive underneath the monstrous persona he had earned. And now here he was, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, his hair parted as it once was, and his old spectacles sitting upon the bridge of his nose.

"A-Aizen." It was all she could say. She didn't trust herself to say anything more; the flavor of his name was so sweet, and yet tinged with the horrible taste of blood from when he had tried to kill her. She wanted to scream for help, but her throat seemed to fail her, constricting as surely as if Aizen's fingers had clamped around her neck.

"You seem so tired, Momo," Aizen said, his voice touched with concern. "I have heard that the captains and vice-captains have been working double time. Secret meetings, classified briefings, plans being drawn up behind closed doors… is there anything you'd like to share with me, Momo?"

She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, but tears began to flow down her face. Momo was frozen, unable to move, and completely vulnerable before the man who had tormented her mentally for so long. Being naked had nothing to do with it. As soon as Sosuke Aizen had appeared, she was totally within his grasp.

"Come now, dearest Momo. You can confide in me. It will be just like the good old days."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Guys, I fucked up. Masaki Kusosaki died in June, not fall. But you know what? Fuck it, this is fanfiction.**_

 _ **I'd apologize for the wait, but I'm sure you guys don't want to hear it, so I'll just say that I'm working two jobs and my schedule is rip. Also me. rip me.**_

 _ **During my downtime, I decided to go through and read the entirety of the Bleach manga in order to reconnect with the series while I came up with ideas. I'm already 260ish chapters in, which isn't bad considering how little time I actually have to read.**_

 _ **Yes, I know the chapter is short, but there were some changes that are going to have to be made, so I cut off what I could decided to post it for the three of you that still read this fic. Bon appetite, my friends.**_

 _ **Oh, and while I was away, they announced the Bleach anime's return. I'm not saying my awesome fic being on hold had anything to do with that but... well, who knows?**_

 _ **World is a fuk right now, so I hope yall are staying safe. Should have another chapter in less than three months. Probably.**_

 _ **Oh, and Aizen's last line is actually a reference to Legend of Korra, when Tarrlok kills himself and his brother. Fun stuff.**_

 _ **Here's some music to listen to while you're sad.**_

 _ **Disenchanted- My Chemical Romance**_

 _ **Into the Dark-Point North ft Kellin Quin**_

 _ **messed up-skele**_

 _ **Cinderella Man-Eminem**_

 _ **Monsters-All Time Low**_

 _ **On Accident-Nico Collins**_

 _ **Everybody Knows-Wildfire**_

 _ **Worship-Max**_

 _ **laying on my porch while we watch the world end-powfu**_

 _ **less of you- Keshi**_

 _ **I gotta get some rest. Peace and chicken grease.**_


	24. New Orders and Old Friends

" _'Let it be known that, effective immediately, Ichigo Kurosaki, the rogue substitute soul reaper, Uryu Ishida, the quincy, Chad Yasotaru, the fullbringer, Orihime Inoue, the high level spiritual medium, and Rukia Kuchiki, formerly of the Thirteenth Division, are all henceforth banished from the Soul Society in its entirety, including the Seireitei, the Soul King's Palace, and all other spiritual planes of existence parallel and perpendicular to the Soul Society._ '"

Ichigo felt his tongue grow heavy with a dry bitterness. Each and every one of his friends had been banished, and according to Byakuya, it was mostly his fault. Perhaps it was the official tone of the scroll, or maybe it was just seeing it in writing, but it truly felt as if it had finally gotten through to him. He wondered if he should apologize when someone interrupted his guilt ridden moping.

"Keep reading," prompted Uryu.

He took a deep breath to make sure his voice wouldn't shake, and then cleared his throat before pressing on.

" _'Now that the banishment is out of the way, I suppose I should I apologize to you, Ichigo. I didn't believe you when you told me the truth. Or rather, I didn't want to believe you. Given the circumstances, I can't blame you for what you've done. Central 46, on the other hand, is having a field day. Or they were. Officially, you and your friends were all vaporized in the explosion at the Shihouin Training Facility. It was the perfect stroke of fortune, because it allowed us a chance to finally get a leg up, so to speak. Aizen thinks you are all dead, and it is of paramount importance that he continue to do just that. As such, you have all been banished. The only way for you to repeal your banishment is to comply with the orders I have written out for you here_.'"

Again, Ichigo stopped, his heart having skipped a beat when he read that there was a way to return to the Soul Society. Whatever it was, he would gladly do it, and then he could confront Aizen once and for all- but upon reading the next line, his hopeful heart sank.

"' _Your orders for the foreseeable future are to do nothing. Each of you are to return to the world of the living, and keep your spirit powers hidden away until such a time as the Seireitei can call upon you for aid, which we will, in due course. Aizen is not someone we can afford to underestimate, and it will take time to coordinate an effort against him without arousing suspicion_.'"

"So it's like Tessai said," Chad mumbled. "We have to keep our powers under control."

"Why are you all looking at me?!" exclaimed Ichigo. "I'm getting better, dammit!"

"Force of habit," Uryu, Chad, and Rukia all said in unison.

Ichigo shook his head and turned his attention back to the scroll.

" _'Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, Orihime, Rukia. I hope all of you can forgive this old fool. We have no other options at this point. Each of you must survive, and come together to battle Aizen. If we succeed, then you will have done the Soul Society a great service, and will be able to come and go as you please as honored guests. If this plan fails, then the Soul Society as we know it will most surely perish. I would ask that each of you place your trust in me, as I have done so with each of you. May the Soul King keep you._

 _Best of luck,_

 _Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyoraku_

 _PS- There should be a second scroll that will explain the plan in detail. Please study it thoroughly._ '"

Rukia was already skimming through the contents of the second scroll, her brow scrunched up in concentration. She impatiently swept a lock of her black hair behind an ear before looking at everyone.

"It's written in code," she said at large. "I may be able to figure it out, but it will take some time."

"Is there anything on there?" Uryu leaned in closer to get a good look at the scroll. "Most codes need a cypher. There has to be something we can use."

"There is only one thing," the soul reaper said, "but it isn't the cypher. It's something else."

Rukia laid out the scroll on the bed so that all could see it. Most of it seemed to be encompassed by sketches of a cube that gave Ichigo flashbacks from when he was studying geometry as a kid. Surrounding the cubes were gibberish characters that made no sense, most likely containing details or notes. But in the margins, scrawled in tiny writing, was something he could read.

"Ragnarok?"

"It's a term that comes from Norse Mythology, I believe," Uryu pushed his glasses further up his nose. "It's essentially the end times of the gods, a great battle that was pre-destined to destroy many of the divinities."

"Shinigami are often referred to as gods of death," interjected Rukia. "I don't know what this word is doing here, but I know it's important somehow."

Unlike everyone else, Ichigo remained disinterested in the second scroll. He was still staring at the first one, re-reading the passages as if he couldn't quite believe what they said. Heavy waves of dissatisfaction ebbed from his soul so strongly that Rukia could feel them clearly, even with the reiatsu reducing eyepatch he was wearing.

"So this is it?" he asked, so quietly that his friends almost didn't hear him. His hands shook, and he had to restrain himself from tearing the scroll. "All this writing, all this posturing… and our job is to just sit here and wait until we're called?"

"It's the Head Captain's orders," Rukia reminded him, but Ichigo hung his head, staring at the words scrawled upon his orders. He flipped the scroll around, eyeing up the blank parchment. The only thing on the outside were the remnants of the wax seal used to secure the orders, ensuring they were not read or tampered with since they'd been issued.

"It makes sense," sighed Uryu, "Ichigo is the only one who can hold their own against Aizen without support. The survival of the Soul Society depends on Aizen being separated from his allies, outnumbered, and then neutralized. That said… there's no guarantee it would all work, what with his fusion with the hogyoku."

' _It sounds like_ _I'll have to fight Aizen again_.' Ichigo realized. He felt himself slip from reality as he knew it, and was jolted back in time to the battle of Fake Karakura Town. He was standing in the air, hovering over the city, his knuckles white as he gripped Tensa Zangetsu. It was difficult to breath, and he couldn't move as he watched Aizen fought against the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. One by one, they accosted him, and within seconds the most powerful people in the Soul Society were cut down, crashing against Aizen's might like waves breaking upon a rocky shore.

Blood. So much blood. And all Ichigo could do was look on, terrified that he was next. Aizen turned his direction, and Ichigo's skin crawled as the traitor smiled lightly.

"Ichigo!"

Someone was shaking his shoulder. Once more, Ichigo was in his room, surrounded by his friends. They were all grim faced, and their eyes were full of concern. Rukia was watching him closely, as if waiting for him to explode.

"You alright, Ichigo?" Chad asked.

Karin pulled her hand from her brother's shoulder, "You look like you just saw a ghost or something. What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"I-"

The panic flattened Ichigo like a road roller. Even though he was perfectly safe in his room, with his closest friends, he felt like he was being observed. The thought that he would have to fight Aizen again made him physically flinch, as if the man were about to pop out from under his bed. He scrambled away from Rukia, who had put a hand out as if to console him, and dashed out the door of his room.

He slipped on the stairs, skidding around the corner as his father called, "Hey, Ichigo, could you help with the dishes at least?"

But he was already in the dark of the hall, racing towards the bathroom. Pain surged in his gut as dread took hold of him, and Ichigo sank to his knees in front of the toilet as bile rose in his throat.

He was sick, shaking violently, but all he could see behind his brown eyes was Aizen's smile, as if somewhere, somehow, the traitor knew Ichigo was thinking of him.

Ichigo bit the inside of his cheek, trying to distract himself, but ended up going from frightened to livid in a single second. He wanted to rip Aizen from limb to limb, eviscerate him into a million pieces for all that he'd done. The familiar ringing of insane laughter began to fill his head when the sound of a knock on the bathroom door pulled Ichigo from his all-encompassing hatred, and Rukia's quiet voice came from the other side.

"Ichigo? Are you alright in there?"

"Fine," he coughed, coming down from the emotional high he'd been on for the last couple minutes since his flashback, "I'm fine. I'll be up in a sec, just give me a minute."

It took a few seconds, but he heard Rukia retreat back down the hall and up the stairs to his room. Ichigo spent a few minutes over the toilet bowl, unsure of what just happened. He'd never experienced anything like that before. The occasional nightmare was no big deal, but now it felt like he'd been pulled into the past, and as a result he had lost his dinner.

Cleaning up the mess he'd made, he dried his eyes and leaned over the bathroom sink after brushing his teeth. When he lifted his head to look at his reflection in the mirror, however, he found that someone else was looking back at him.

"Hello there, your majesty," his hollow said, "you're looking all depressed again. Rough night?"

Ichigo didn't flinch. Oddly enough, the terror he usually felt around his hollow was gone, as if he'd used it all up during his panic attack.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Ichigo whispered.

"Stoic, rational, and logical. That's my Ichigo for ya," his pale doppelganger grinned, revealing overlong, sharp canines. "But I know you better than that. I felt the hatred that was pouring out of you. I bet that if Aizen were here, you'd either kill him or end up pissing yourself. Aheheheheheeee!"

"How about you wrap this up and get to the point," Ichigo began to wash his hands, "I have company here."

"Remember our little negotiation, Ichigo? Shortly after we first met? You wear the crown and hold the reins for now, but soon I'll be the king, and you'll be the horse. Your days are numbered."

The hollow's grin fell away as Ichigo continued to wash his hands. It wasn't until he was good and done that he raised his head and narrowed his eyes at the reflection of the hollow in the mirror.

"My days _are_ numbered," Ichigo told him. "Maybe you haven't been following along, but I'll be fighting Aizen again soon. And I have no intentions of letting him go alive."

"That's suicide," the hollow spat, "you know it is! You can't be serious…."

"When you do it for people you care about, it's actually called a sacrifice," Ichigo murmured. "I don't plan on losing anyone else to Aizen. And when I go down… you're going down with me. Partner."

Ichigo spat the last word as if it were a cuss. The hollow began to bang on the mirror, but being nothing more than a phantom of Ichigo's mind, it stayed intact. "You can't do this! I'll break out of here and become the king, and you'll have your turn as the horse! I won't let you do this to us, Ichigo!"

But the substitute shinigami was already walking away. The hollow continued to bang on the mirror and screech, "DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, BASTARD! GET BACK HERE ICHIGO! ICHIGOOOOOO!"

As he made his way up the stairs, completely ignoring his old man's requests for assistance with the dishes, Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck. He was still tired, and his physical form still felt off, as if there was some sort of disconnect between his soul and his body. He reached out to turn the handle of the doorknob when without warning he was blinded, silenced, put in an armbar and spirited down the hall to Karin's room.

He was set gently upon the floor, and when he took off his blindfold, he found Rukia smirking down at him.

"It's good to know I can still take you down," she said quietly.

Ichigo rotated his shoulder, working out the kinks from the tense armbar Rukia had put him in. She looked fantastic in one of Karin's old sun dresses, and it took a few moments for him to remember that he was angry about being abducted in his own house.

"I know what just happened to you, Ichigo."

He stretched his elbow slowly and replied, "Yeah, it's called kidnapping, and it seriously wasn't necessary."

"Not that. I mean what happened in the bedroom, where you suddenly looked like you were back in a warzone."

Ichigo was silent. Rukia uncrossed her arms and rolled her eyes before kneeling in front of him and taking his hands in her own, letting them rest on his knees.

"It's common in soul reapers who have seen battle and bloodshed," Rukia noted gently. "This pain you feel, this anxiety, these flashbacks; they're all symptoms found in the most distinguished warriors of the Soul Society."

Ichigo scoffed, "You're telling me that the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen all have PTSD or something?"

"Some may, given the recent Sternritter Invasion," she said as she ran her thumbs over Ichigo's knuckles, "but that isn't my reason for telling you this. The captains are spirits who can live for hundreds or thousands of years. They have eternity to process and reflect, and come to terms with loss and the mental toll of war. You are still young. Whatever you may be feeling… it will no doubt be amplified by your lack of experience, and your hectic dual lifestyle. I just want you to know that you have friends and family that you can talk to. And of course, you have me."

She rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles again, gazing at Ichigo endearingly. He frowned for a moment and then said, "Hold up a sec, did you just say that I'm young?"

In an instant, the moment was gone, as if someone had just tossed a hand grenade into the room. "Is that really all you took away from this?" Rukia asked, her face painted in disbelief.

"No, I got the gist," insisted Ichigo, "but I was just wondering… if you think I'm young… how old are you? I've never really thought about it before, but you must be older than me by a longshot."

"I, uhh…well-" she cleared her throat, cupping her cheek as a bead of nervous sweat dotted her brow, "I don't really see how that's pertinent."

A loud beep began to emit from Rukia, and she nearly dropped the soul pager pulling it from her dress. She flipped it open, acutely aware of Ichigo's scrutiny of her, as if he were trying to guess her age. When she read the message on the screen, however, all of her embarrassment was lost.

"There's a hollow!" she gasped. "And it's headed right for the clinic!"

That was when the doorbell rang, and Ichigo felt as if he'd been zapped with a cattle prod. Three more reiatsus had appeared upon his doorstep, but from what he could tell, they weren't soul reapers. In a flash, Rukia and Ichigo had left Karin's dark room and leapt down the staircase, but Isshin had already answered the door.

There upon the threshold were three people Ichigo had known for some time, but he hadn't seen since the school closed for repairs.

Tatsuki Arisawa and Keigo Asano stood outside Ichigo's door, the body of Mizuiru Kojima slung between them, with an arm pulled over each of their shoulders. Tatsuki had a line of blood trickling from her hairline into her eye, forcing her to close it, and Keigo looked like he'd taken a good beating. One of his eyes was ringed in black, and his nose was blooded. Mizuiru did not seem gravely injured, but he was unconscious, and oblivious to the situation that was quickly unfolding.

"Tatsuki?" Ichigo asked. "Keigo?"

Tatsuki pulled herself out from underneath Mizuiru, allowing Keigo to take his full weight as he stumbled into the clinic, only to be caught by Isshin, who took Tatsuki's spot under Mizuiru's arm.

"There's a hollow," Tatsuki panted, resting with her hands on her knees, "I didn't want those two getting hurt anymore."

Without thinking, the redhead shoved a hand into his pocket and came up with the wooden pentagon that served as his combat pass. As soon as Rukia saw it, though, she snatched it away from him.

"You mustn't," she insisted. "We can't elevate our reiatsus, especially you!"

"Tatsuki," Keigo said suddenly, "don't go back out there alone! Take someone with you."

Both Keigo and Tatsuki turned their pale faces to Ichigo, who seemed torn between his desire to use his combat pass, and something else that was most definitely eating at him.

"No, I suppose that's too much to ask from you," Tatsuki realized, turning back to face the darkness of the night. "Keigo, look after Mizuiru. I'll take care of this."

From somewhere outside, a hollow shrieked. Ichigo looked at Rukia, but the soul reaper shook her head. Under no circumstances were they to compromise the mission, lest Aizen discover they were still alive. It was a conundrum for Ichigo, who had made it his mission to protect everyone from the dangers of the spirit world. But now, that world, and all the other worlds with it, were in jeopardy. Either he would break his vow to protect everyone, and doom the world, or he would have to let his friends get hurt.

Chad, Uryu, and Karin, having sensed the commotion, came down the stairs and fell in place behind Ichigo, looking on as well.

Tatsuki had walked out to the front gate, and was cracking her neck and rubbing her shoulders.

"I know you're out there!" she called as the streetlights began to flicker and go out. "C'mon, hollow! Come get me!"

"We have to do something," Uryu pushed his glasses up his nose.

Chad put a hand on the Quincy's shoulder, "No. We aren't supposed to reveal our whereabouts."

"We can't just let Tatsuki die!" Ichigo said loudly.

Rukia caught Ichigo by the arm as he made to run outside. "There's nothing we can do but trust her to take care of it!"

"You can sense it, too, can't you?! There's no way she can face up against a hollow that powerful! She's just a-" Ichigo's words died in his throat as Tatsuki put a hand to her waist, where she wore her ceremonial black belt to fasten her capri jeans in place. The air around Tatsuki began to stir and hum as a maroon reiatsu burst to life around her, encasing her in in a semi translucent karate gi woven of ethereal maroon fibers. Her hands were taped with the same spiritual fabric, and Ichigo could feel the thin reishi of the world of the living respond as Tatsuki tapped into a power he had never seen before.

"-human," he finished his remark softly.

"No," muttered Chad, his eyes wide with recognition, "Tatsuki is… a Fullbringer!"

* * *

Fifteen minutes and one dead hollow later, the door to Ichigo's room slammed shut.

With all of the occupants, there was hardly room to move about, but no one seemed to notice, except Ichigo, who fondly remembered the days where he didn't have seven other people crammed into his personal space.

First, there was Mizuiru, who was prone on Ichigo's bed, and Tatsuki, who was tying a bandage around his temple, where a nasty bluish bump had begun to form. Keigo stood off to one side, looking around with interest. He couldn't recall the last time he was ever in Ichigo's room, and now it turned out that it had been a hotbed of activity, both in terms of developing close friendships and defending against spiritual threats, and he hadn't even been a part of it!

Chad sat at Ichigo's desk, and Rukia knelt next to Tatsuki, waving a hand over Mizuiru, sensing the damage to his soul and trying to figure out how to heal him.

Tatsuki didn't look much better than her companions. Her head wound was still bleeding, and was accentuated by a multitude of fresh bruises and scrapes from her battle with the hollow. She hadn't said a word since she had asked Ichigo for help, only to be rebuffed. She didn't need to, though. Ichigo could sense the roiling within her soul as her mind churned, searching for answers.

Uryu tapped Tatsuki on the shoulder and handed her a strip of cloth, which she used to tie around her own head injury before sitting back and breathing a sigh.

"What's going on, Ichigo?" she asked without looking at him, her hands twisting themselves into knots in her lap. "You're not the kind of guy to avoid a fight. We both know about hollows and soul reapers… tell me what's going on. Where's Orihime?"

She turned to glare at Ichigo, her eyes as dark as coal and harder than carbon. Ichigo felt his breath hitch in his chest. How could he possibly explain his predicament? How much did Tatsuki really know?

"Orihime is resting, he said simply, "and as for what's going on... do you guys have any plans for tonight?"

"W-Why would you want to know that?" Tatsuki asked, pink patches of color forming on her cheeks.

"Because explaining this is going to take some time," Chad chipped in. "Our situation is…"

"Complicated," Rukia finished.

Silence was heavy, and Tatsuki and Keigo looked at each other strangely. It took Ichigo a second to realize that it was a look he often shared with his closest friends, like Uryu or Chad or Rukia. It seemed that in Ichigo's absence, his other group of friends had grown quite close as well.

"We don't have anything else going on," Keigo said at length. "Tell us what's happening. Please, you guys. I… we may need your help."

Keigo Asano. Ichigo remembered him as an immature high school guy. A hopeless romantic, and a bit of a perv, too, but then, most high schooler guys were. He remembered Keigo as being a bit much- with emotions always running high. But now? Now it seemed like Keigo had changed just as much as Ichigo had after becoming a substitute soul reaper. He looked more focused, less spastic. He was no longer lanky and wiry, and his soul, which had once been just as bland and grey as anyone else's, was now a bright, neon orange. What unnerved Ichigo the most, though, was Keigo's surprising reminiscence of Sosuke Aizen. They had the same color hair, the same slender features, and even their eyes seemed similar.

Ichigo had to still himself. This was _Keigo_ , not Aizen. They were not the same person, no matter how similar they looked.

"We'll help you, however-" Ichigo stopped as a loud beep jarred everyone in the room. Rukia blushed and immediately dug her soul pager out of her dress pocket. She flipped it open and scanned through it quickly, then closed it with a snap and slid off the bed.

"I have to go," she said.

"Wha-where?!" Ichigo asked.

"Nel sent me a soul page. It seems she'd tracked down and killed the arrancar responsible for murdering the Tres Bestia. I'm going to go help her identify the culprit's remains."

"I'll come with you," Ichigo got to his feet.

"No, stay here with everyone, keep them safe. I'll be back soon."

"But-" Rukia laid a hand on Ichigo's chest, and her reiatsu sparked through him like electricity. He could sense her distaste at being away from him, but it was her duty as a former member of the Gotei Thirteen to check into such things, especially before anyone else from the Seireitei went to investigate.

"Fine," Ichigo grumbled. "Stay safe, and come back in one piece."

"I will," she promised gently.

Rukia slipped out of the room and down the stairs as Keigo stared at Ichigo, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide.

"What the hell was that?!" Keigo asked his friend.

"What was what?"

"You and Rukia! Rukia and you! You guys are acting like some sort of… item! Like a… a-"

"Couple?" Uryu asked.

Keigo pointed at Uryu, his lips tight as he nodded in earnest. "Yeah! Like a couple! What gives?!"

"They're together, moron," Tatsuki told him.

"But-wha-I mean-Ichigo wouldn't-I mean-"

"Yeah, we're actually married," Ichigo said, running his fingers through his hair to try and hide his embarrassment. "It was sort of a shock to everyone. I'd have let you guys know but I've been pretty busy."

"Y-Y-Y-Y-YOU'RE MARRIED?!" Keigo shrieked, earning himself a sharp elbow in the ribs from Tatsuki and Ichigo, both of whom shushed the awestruck young man between them.

* * *

Rukia, who was not accustomed to wandering the streets of Karakura Town in the wee hours of the morning, was taken aback by how empty it was. Save a few early risers on their morning run, or a few late night partiers doing the walk of shame, almost no one was in the streets or sidewalks.

Once she hit the commercial district, all passersby were virtually nonexistent. She walked purposefully past dimly lit storefront displays, glancing every now and then at her soul pager to make sure she was going the right way. She was wearing Ichigo's reiatsu diminishing coat, which was so large on her that the cuffs fell right over her hands. Still, it smelled like Ichigo, and she pulled it tightly about herself with a smile as she followed the path that would take her to Neliel.

The thought of the arrancar made Rukia scowl. Neliel was no doubt still hurting, even after getting her revenge. The soul reaper had plenty of experience: getting back at the people whom had wronged her never made her feel any better.

That was when another chime from her pager made her pause in her tracks, and turning to her left, Rukia saw a large, dark alleyway before her.

Even as she watched, Neliel melted from the shadows, her white arrancar garb suddenly blinding white in the light of the streetlamps.

"Oh! Nel, you startled me," Rukia said.

"Sorry, Rukia." Nel said shortly. "Come, they're here in the alley."

"The murderer, you mean?"

"Yes, I'll show you."

And with that, Nel turned back down the alleyway, her visage fading just as quickly as it had appeared. The only sounds were the echoes of Nel's heels as they clicked against the concrete, making Rukia jumpy.

With a shiver, she followed Nel into the dark of the alleyway. Only a few steps in, the light of all the world seemed to have fallen away. Rukia looked behind her, expecting to see the light of the streetlamps, but instead saw black. Fear rose within her, panic following after, and then she heard it: a small, hissing chuckle from right over her shoulder.

"We're so glad to meet you, soul reaper," said a pair of voices. "You're just what need to get to Ichigo Kurosaki."

Rukia's blood was ice in her veins as she realized that she was stuck in her gigai, without any means of fighting the hollow.

 _'Rukia, you damned fool_ ,' she mentally berated herself, ' _you've walked right into a trap_!'

* * *

"So that's why you couldn't help us," realization dawned on Tatsuki's face, "you all have to keep your powers under control, otherwise this Aizen guy will find out."

Keigo looked bashful for a moment before he said, "It was my idea to come here for help. I suppose I just put you all in danger. Well, even more danger than usual, heh."

Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad looked contemplative for a moment. Then, Uryu asked the question that was burning heavily in Ichigo's mind.

"How long have you guys known?"

"About what?" Tatsuki asked sharply.

"The spirit world. Hollows. Shinigami."

"Let's see," Keigo asked, tracing his jawline with his thumb and forefinger, "I think we first had our suspicions confirmed when that shop guy told us what you guys were up to. What was that- three years ago?"

"So long," remarked Ichigo somberly. "And you guys never bothered to tell us that you knew?"

Tatsuki blew a rogue strand of hair out of her face in exasperation, which made Keigo grin like an idiot.

 _'Even though she's a tomboy, Tatsuki is kind cute when she's riled up,'_ he thought.

"It isn't the kind of thing you just bring up at school, or in casual conversation," she rolled her eyes. "Why else would you go to such lengths to keep it from people you claimed to be friends with?"

Ichigo cursed his lack of forethought. He had kept his identity as a substitute soul reaper to himself to try and spare his family and friends any worry. He had wanted them to be blissfully ignorant of hollows and arrancar and ghosts. Instead, they had found out anyway, and as a result, felt alienated.

' _As per usual, no good deed goes unpunished_ ,' Ichigo realized bitterly.

"I'm sorry," he told his friends. "I didn't think you guys knew about all this. I wasn't trying to exclude you, I thought I was keeping you all safe."

"Typical Ichigo," chortled Keigo, "noble to a fault."

"Naïve as ever," Tatsuki said smugly, shaking her head.

Mizuiru groaned from on the bed, and after a few seconds his eyes flickered open. He peered around the room with tired eyes until he saw Ichigo, at which point he became a bit more lucid.

"Ichigo? Wha-where am I? What happened?"

Ichigo smiled, "Good to see you're back from the dead, Mizuiru. It's been a while."

* * *

It took another hour of explaining before Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiru were thoroughly filled in, seeing as the latter had missed practically everything up until that point.

"I think I understand," the womanizer said after Ichigo had finished his umpteenth recollection of the last week, "and yet here I just thought you had gotten sick of us or something."

"Not on your life," Ichigo grinned, "you guys are my friends, y'know? I've just been preoccupied…"

"I see," Mizuiru sat up from the bed, but his head still hung heavily. "I know this isn't the best time, Ichigo, but we've actually been meaning to get a hold of you, Chad, and Uryu for a while now."

Chad uncrossed his arms and came forward. Compared to his friends, he was absolutely gigantic, rippling with muscle and power, but when he spoke it was with all the care a friend could possibly muster.

"What's up, you guys? Seeing as we're all on the same page, now is as good a time as any to fill us in."

Keigo looked out the window. Tatsuki frowned and ground her heel into the floor. Mizuiru's fingers nervously drummed at Ichigo's bed.

"It all started when we met Aizen," Tatsuki said darkly.

Ichigo's eyes went wide with surprise, and a cursory glance at Uryu and Chad confirmed that this was news to them as well.

"You met Aizen? But when did you-" He blanched as the memories came back to him. "When Aizen attacked the world of the living. Of course."

"Ever since then, things have been changing," Tatsuki said, "those monsters- the hollows- they've been coming after us. We've found ways to fight them. We've developed these weird abilities… but the hollows don't stop coming. We fight as best we can, but we're running blind. Sooner or later, not knowing everything is gonna get one of us killed."

"We can't get in touch with the shopkeeper guy, either," Keigo explained. "Every time we go by there, we're told that he isn't available, so we just stopped trying."

Ichigo, still shaken from the realization that his friends met Aizen, tried to speak, "Well, see, Urahara…."

Mizuiru stood up. He was pale, and still a bit wobbly on his feet, but he rejected Tatsuki's assistance and stood on his own, staring into Ichigo's eyes with a determination one wouldn't have expected from someone who'd only just awoken from a head injury.

"Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, we need your help to figure out our spirit powers. And in return, we'll help you fight Aizen."

The more experienced spiritual mediums were silent. Chad and Uryu shared a look. Ichigo, on the other hand, scoffed loudly.

"Pffft! Get real! There's no way I'd let you three fight Aizen!"

Tatsuki, Mizuiru, and Keigo all felt their jaws drops as they screamed in unison, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Ichigo his arms in an 'X' to solidify the rejection, looking stern. Then a noise echoed down the hall; it was the sound of a door slowly creaking open. Ichigo grew pale, as he knew exactly what the sound was. He turned, staring at the door with dread as a bead of nervous perspiration traced down his temple. He waited. The doorknob slowly turned of its own accord, and there in the doorway stood Yuzu. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were scrunched up against the harsh light of Ichigo's room.

"I'm sure you're all having a great time without me," she sneered at her brother, "but you could keep it down. Some of us actually have things to do in the morning."

"S-Sorry Yuzu," Ichigo stammered. "We'll try to be quieter. Sleep well, ok?"

Yuzu looked flustered at her brother's kindness, and she pulled the door closed with a "Hmph!" as her face turned pink.

"Sorry we woke up your sister," Mizuiru said, "by the way, is she single?"

"Don't even think about it," Ichigo snapped.

Mizuiru grinned, fanning his face with a hand, "C'mon Ichigo, it was a joke! You know I'm into older women."

"A joke is supposed to be funny," Ichigo pointed out. "Like that crap you were spewing about helping us fight Aizen. I hate to break it to you, but you three have no chance. And even if you did, I still wouldn't let you fight."

"Figures," Tatsuki mumbled, stepping past Ichigo to get to the door, "you're the same self-righteous prick you've always been. I suppose some things really don't change. C'mon, you two, let's go. I think we've overstayed our welcome."

Keigo glanced at Ichigo, "But-"

Tatsuki shot him a glare, and with a heavy heart and a hanging head, Keigo joined Mizuiru and Tatsuki at the door. She opened it, and let her friends go through it first before turning back to face Ichigo. There was an uncomfortable silence, and Ichigo could see that there were a few choice things Tatsuki wanted to say to him. In the end, she just shook her head and told him, "Lose the eyepatch, Ichigo. You look like an ass."

The door closed with a snap, and with that, Ichigo felt his soul drain from his body as he realized he'd ended up pushing his friends even further away. Chad laid a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"It's for the best," he rumbled. "If we don't want them to get hurt, they can't be involved."

"I know," sighed Ichigo. "It doesn't make it suck any less, though."

* * *

Amidst the foggy ruins of what appeared to have once been a great metropolis, two men kicked through the rock and rubble, searching for something.

One was garbed in a black kimono and a white coat. He had long, untidy black hair, and an appearance that would make any god fearing creature think twice about messing with him. Riding on his shoulder, humming merrily to herself and kicking her feet was a small girl with salmon colored hair.

Striding along next to them, silent as the grave, was a tall, thin man in disheveled white robes. His eyes were dark, and empty, and his long brown hair fell onto his shoulders. His untrimmed facial hair made him look like a wild man, but his demeanor was nothing if not lax.

They paused for a moment at an intersection, frowning at a stop sign that was slowly being covered by ivy.

"This place seems familiar," Starrk said gruffly. "I sense bloodshed. And pain."

"That's a useful ability," Kenpachi replied, "I can only sense residual spiritual pressures. If I could find bloodshed, I could undoubtedly find a decent opponent."

"It's something you're born with as an arrancar," Starrk told him. "We can sense negative emotion. We hollows are created by negativity after all."

"That's true."

"So where too now?"

Yachiru clicked her heels together and pointed gleefully, "That way!"

"No," Starrk shook his head, "the battle happened downtown, if my memory serves. It'd be easier to find if these human towns didn't all look the same."

"Well then, there's only one thing to do, isn't there?" Kenpachi bared his teeth, "We follow the scent of blood."

"I'll lead the way," Starrk suggested quickly, "you two are so hopeless with directions that it's a miracle you get anywhere."

"Heeeey," Yachiru pouted, her hand on her hips as she took exception to Starrk's quip.

"What are you so worked up about?" Kenpachi asked her, "he's got a point."

Yachiru stuck out her lower lip, "He could've been a little nicer about it."

Kenpachi fell into step beside the arrancar, the two of them working through the ruins as leisurely as one might take a stroll through a park. They did not speak, save to double check they were going the right way. No one else would have noticed it, but there was a hunger in the eyes on the arrancar that Kenpachi picked up on. There was an eagerness in his step, an interest that nothing else had ever sparked before in all of Kenpachi's time knowing this hollow.

It was an excitement he knew about all too well; one that he had felt the instant he had found Starrk amidst the sandy dune of Hueco Mundo.

 _'He's ready to find her,_ ' Zaraki said mentally. _'He can sense his other half nearby.'_

The sun was hidden behind clouds, and the sky was thick with an oppressive layer of them. It looked like it could start to rain. Chill winds ran through the ruins as Coyote and Kenpachi searched, pulling away the fog and allowing them to see what was around them.

This part of the abandoned city had been decimated long before nature had begun to reclaim it. Here, in the center of the destruction, Zaraki Kenpachi could practically hear the battle cries and the clash of swords that he often associated with battlefields. It was written and recorded in the spiritual pressures that had once been there. And there, in the maelstrom of power that still remained, he could pick out a few that he recognized.

"That's Kurosaki's spiritual pressure," he noted, his tongue gliding over his dry, cracked lips. "And there were a few captains here, too. This is it, Starrk. This is where the battle of Fake Karakura Town took place."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Starrk replied bitterly. "I can hear them… the screams of the other espada who were cut down."

"Heh, you almost sound like you miss them."

"They were usually giant pains in my ass, but they were the only hollows in Hueco Mundo who didn't die as soon as I got close to them."

"I suppose familiarity breeds sentimentality."

"Those are some big words for you, Kenpachi."

"Thanks, I read them in a book somewhere."

They looked around at the crumbling buildings which had begun to sink back into the earth, or be overtaken by great ivy vines. The roadway was cracked and split, and everywhere you looked you could see signs of a battle.

"Here," murmured the former espada, looking up at the cloudy grey skies, "it was right about… here."

"What was there?"

"This," the arrancar sighed, "is where I was slain by the Head Captain. Though, he wasn't the Head Captain at the time."

"Yeah, Kyoraku is a crafty son of a bitch," Kenpachi said. "But from what I've been told, this is also the spot where they've been spotted."

"What has been spotted?"

"Wolves," Kenpachi told him. "Apparently that mad scientist, Kurotsuchi, had some researchers come out here to analyze battle data. They reported being attacked by spirit wolves with glowing red eyes."

All around them, a mass of howls broke the eerie silence. Shadows flitted between the ruins, and before they knew it, the trio was encircled by a massive pack of wolves. Their bodies glowed bluish white, and their eyes were crimson and bloodthirsty.

From within the pack rose another figure, this one larger than all the rest. It was a massive white wolf, with eyes the color of a bright summer sky. Starrk, who rarely displayed any emotion, felt himself overcome with it. His hands shook, his stomach churned unpleasantly as his heart leapt. The wolves parted to allow their leader to face down the intruders, and Starrk stared at it with disbelief.

"Lilynette," he whispered, "is that you?"

* * *

That night was a sleepless one for Ichigo. With the thought of his friends heavy on his mind, and Rukia not being there to comfort him, all he could do was toss and turn.

It was just after four in the morning when he finally decided to go downstairs, eat an early breakfast, and do something he hadn't done in weeks: watch some TV.

He made some eggs and went to the living room, only to find that Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku was awake, sitting on the floor in front of the television, his hand extended as if he wished to reach through the screen and grab at the hairbrush in an infomercial.

"Morning," Ichigo grumbled, taking no heed of the nobleman and sitting on the couch.

"Ah, good morning, young man!"

"You can just call me Ichigo."

"Ichigo it is! Tell me, how is it that I procure the items shown on this device?"

Ichigo stopped, his fork inches away from his mouth. "Uh, you mean that hairbrush?"

"Yes! I wish to have it, but I cannot get to it. I would give up any amount of gold to have a hairbrush that can also curl or straighten my hair!"

The nobleman looked excited beyond belief. Ichigo felt his eyes twitch, and realized that coming downstairs to watch TV may not have been a good idea.

"You order it," he explained slowly. "You call that number and give them your credit card information."

"And how do I procure a credit card?"

"You apply for one."

"And how long does that take?"

"I dunno."

"Splendid! The modern marvels of the world of the living never cease to amaze me!"

"Right." Ichigo shook his head and took a hearty bite of his breakfast, which was now getting cold. He looked at the TV only to realize to Kamisaigaiku was still staring at him.

"Uh, can I help you or…"

"You look just like him," the nobleman noted quietly. "You both have that same sad, contemplative look. Something weighs heavily upon you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Uh, well my dad and I have a lot of the same features," Ichigo agreed lamely.

"Oh, no, not your father. I'm talking about Shigekuni. That expression you wear when you're lost in thought- it's just like his. The resemblance is uncanny."

"Shigekuni," Ichigo thought hard for a moment before he remembered where he'd heard that name. "You mean the old man? Yamamoto? You knew the Head Captain?"

"Oh, yes. At one point Shigekuni and I were dear, dear friends, but that was centuries ago. You and he are possessed of many of the same qualities, you know. You are both headstrong, loyal, and stubborn beyond belief."

"Who told you I'm stubborn?!"

"Your sister, Yuzu. She's a sweet girl, and she worries about her 'stupid big brother' quite a lot."

Guilt stirred within Ichigo as he poked at his breakfast shamefully with his fork.

"Yeah, she definitely deserves a better big brother. I haven't been around for her or Karin as much as I should be."

"Self-sacrifice," Hideyoshi noted. "Always putting the wellbeing of others above yourself. Yet another trait you share with Shigekuni."

"You sound like you knew him well. You said you guys used to be friends, right?"

"A long time ago," the nobleman nodded solemnly. "He was a young man from the dregs of the Soul Society. We used to butt heads constantly, but over the years we grew to be friends. Unfortunately, this wasn't meant to last."

"What happened?" Ichigo wondered, his thoughts turning to Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiru. "Why'd you stop being friends?"

"Shigekuni- or Genryusai as he came to be called- was a hothead, an idealist. He sought to make the Soul Society a better place for the souls who lived there. Not just the nobles, but everyone. And so he began working to develop a fighting force to combat hollows and bring about order. But along the way, he fell in love… with my younger sister."

"And I suppose your clan wasn't too happy about that," Ichigo realized.

"No," Kamisaigaiku said sadly, "I wasn't. My sister was promised to another nobleman. I wanted her to live a good life, full of comfort and happiness. Genryusai had naught to offer for a dowry, nor any noble blood to speak of. He worked day and night to change the Soul Society, gathering support, living in squalor. I forbade their union, and in doing so I lost my closest, oldest friend. Then, I lost my sister. My sweet, innocent Kana, heartbroken and unable to go on, took her own life. In her eyes, death was preferable to being estranged from the man she loved. Genryusai blamed me… and so did I. We did not meet again after that, but I heard rumors of a man who was more like a monster, bearing a sword of flame and reshaping the Soul Society with a group of powerful, like-minded people. They formed the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto became the most powerful shinigami ever to exist in a thousand years. He brought peace to a place ruled by death and destruction. A part of me wonders if he ever managed to find any peace of his own, though."

"I'm sorry," mumbled Ichigo at long last. "But why are you telling me this?"

"You bear a striking resemblance to Genryusai when he was young," Kamisaigaiku sniffed, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his kimono, "Not just in your looks, but in your demeanor as well. I sense a familiar fire that burns within you- unquenchable, brighter than a sun, and twice as deadly. I also know that you have strong feelings towards that female companion of yours."

"Rukia."

"Yes, that was her name. Genryusai never forgot about Kana, and never took another lover. I learned as much after his death, when I first came to the Seireitei to conduct cleanup after Yhwach's invasion. He kept a diary of sorts, you see. He wished more than anything that Kana had lived, even up to his final days." Hideyoshi paused, and turned his stunningly blue eyes to Ichigo, who was transfixed by the intensity within them. "I'm telling you this so that you may learn from him. Do not let fear put out your fire, Ichigo Kurosaki. And do not let the ones you love go, lest you be consumed by the fire that drives you."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

 _ **Now you guys see why I had to split this chapter up from the previous one.**_

 _ **And what's that? A second chapter in less than a month? That's gotta be some kinda record for me. To be fair I've been stressed out and writing is an excellent coping mechanism. Plus, This fic is getting close to the end now, and I'm excited for it.**_

 _ **Anyway, we see the return of a few side characters in this chapter. Zaraki and Starrk are on the prowl, and Keigo, Tatsuki, and Mizuiru have all been doing the whole spirit cop thing while Ichigo has been busy. Tatsuki is a fullbringer... what do you guys think about the other two's spirit powers? And was I the only one who thought Keigo looked eerily similar to Aizen after the time skip? And Rukia is in danger. And prom is tomorrow!**_

 _ **As far as Kamisaigaiku's conversation with Ichigo, it's an idea I had months ago. I'm glad I remembered to include it, because it sort of humanizes Genryusai Yamamoto, who was probably the coolest old man in all anime.**_

 _ **But I'm tired as shit, so I'll sign off. I don't think the next chapter will come out so quickly as this one, but we'll see what happens.**_

 _ **!Music!**_

 _ ***Spoiler Alert* it's all gonna be sad shit**_

 _ **rosier-brakence**_

 _ **fuckboy-brakence**_

 _ **kumbaya-hopsin**_

 _ **falling sky-red**_

 _ **ghosts-jeremy zucker**_

 _ **rooftops-lost prophets**_

 _ **the reaper-keshi**_

 _ **watch you crawl-red**_

 _ **i don't love you-my chemical romance**_

 _ **of these chains-red**_

 _ **clouded-brakence**_

 _ **thing called love-nf**_

 _ **boywontcry-brakence**_

 _ **softie-brakence**_

 _ **i fuckin told you it was gonna be sad.**_

 _ **thanks for reading ilu**_


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